If you feel overwhelmed with Christmas stress, you’re not alone! Christmas isn’t always merry and bright. It’s stressful, anxiety provoking, and expensive AF.
Download the FREE Christmas Planner use these 7 steps to beat holiday stress.
7 Steps to Beat Holiday Stress
1. Define your Christmas traditions
The first step to reduce Christmas stress is to define your Christmas traditions. Everyone has unspoken expectations for Christmas. Instead of depending on family or a significant other to make a picture-perfect Christmas season, take things into your own hands. How do you want your Christmas to look?
What traditions do you want to start or continue?
Define what traditions are important to you. More importantly, get rid of traditions if they take up too much time and energy. Traditions can be as simple as grabbing a peppermint mocha or attending a Christmas parade.
Examples of holiday traditions:
- Look at Christmas lights
- Select a Christmas tree
- Bake Christmas cookies
- Cookie exchange with friends
- Give gifts to someone in need
- Watch Christmas movies
- Send Christmas cards
- Ugly Christmas Sweater party
- Advent calendar
- Make an ornament every year
- Send holiday cards
2. Mark your calendar for holiday parties
Next to lower your stress mark your calendar for holiday parties or important dates. Get clear how, when, and where you’ll spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Will you host Christmas or is it going to be at your in-laws? Are you planning on staying with family or checking in at a hotel?
Communicate the basic details with your family.
Then mark your calendar for other holiday parties with work, friends, or in your community. If you have too much on your plate, RSVP in advance you can’t make it! There’s power in saying no.
3. List self-care ideas
With extra responsibilities and errands you need to press pause and recharge. Brainstorm different ways you can take care of yourself during the holiday season. Think of self-care ideas for the month and Christmas day itself.
Self-care isn’t selfish and it doesn’t need to be expensive. Most self-care can be free.
Free self-care ideas for Christmas:
- Get 8+ hours of sleep
- Take a nap
- Deep breaths
- Light a candle
- Read a book
- Take a hot bath
- Go for a walk
- Call a friend to vent about holiday stress
- Set goals for the new year
- Hand letter Christmas cards
4. Write your Christmas gift list
According to Bustle, the number one reason Christmas is stressful is, “It makes you broke AF.” Stay out of the red this Christmas and plan how much you’ll spend on Christmas gifts.
Reduce your Christmas stress by simplifying gifts this year. Instead of giving everyone in your family or friend group a gift, organize a Secret Santa or White Elephant. Set maximum gift amount and save hundreds of dollars.
A list will prevent you from overspending and financial stress. Write the names of people you will shop for, gift ideas, and how much you’ll spend on each person.
See the total cost of gifts before you hit the stores.
Related Post:
Need extra cash to buy gifts? Here’s the best holiday side hustle ideas for Christmas.
5. Define your holiday wish list
If someone asks what you want for Christmas, tell them! Take out the unnecessary stress and have open conversations about gift exchanges. It can sound selfish to have your own holiday gift wish list, but you’ll do family a favor. Playing the guessing game and wondering what to give others for Christmas is stressful.
Stop wasting money giving and getting gifts you’ll never use!
6. Plan your Christmas meals
Decide what’s on the menu for your Christmas meals. Food’s always a big part of any Christmas celebration. Take the stress out with a meal plan.
Start with any Christmas cookies you want to make. Then plan what you’ll have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
If you’re a guest for other Christmas parties search Pinterest in advance for fun drink, appetizers, and sides to bring.
7. List your Christmas errands
Last to avoid stress write out all other errands for Christmas. In addition to buying gifts, there are a million other errands that take up a ton of time and money.
Now you have your meals planned, make a grocery list to buy ingredients you don’t have on hand.
Get specific with any Christmas decorations you need to buy this year or what you want to put up like a Christmas tree, tree skirt, ornaments, lights, and stockings.
Plan a trip to Dollar Tree to get gift wrap, tape, name tags, ribbons, etc. to wrap your gifts on the cheap (everything’s $1). If you want to send Christmas cards or ship gifts, be sure to allocate extra money and time for shipping.
You can beat Christmas stress.
