Tis the season to be Jolly, sometimes that phrase can seem a little bit of a setup. Of course, the holiday season is about coming together with family; however, as I’m sure you are aware, a picture-perfect holiday, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or another festival, can be difficult to achieve but it doesn’t have to be that way.

It is very often the pressure and expectations that we place on ourselves which make the holiday season even more stressful. And this year in particular we just don’t need the extra stress. Let’s make this year an imperfect, yet perfect holiday season and accept that celebrating the holidays whatever shape that takes is beautiful.

Make it about your family not social media

Social media can make the holiday season stressful when it just doesn’t need to be. We see all the things and think that in order to have the perfect holiday we need it all.

Without even noticing it we can be decorating the table or placing presents around the tree in order to capture the perfect photo for Facebook or Instagram, rather than to celebrate the holiday.

Try putting your phone away over the holiday season, and take photos on a separate camera if you want to save them as memories for your family. Try to stay off social media and remember what truly makes the holiday season special for your family, or, if you are celebrating alone, for you.

Find creative ways to save money

There are loads of tips to save money online, you could check out Moneysavingexpert.com which has lots of advice. You can save money in small ways like buying your own brand of Christmas pudding instead of splurging out, or in big ways like having a Secret Santa instead of giving out lots of presents.

Set a budget that is affordable to you, the stress of overspending during the holiday season is simply not worth it. Financial stress can have a big impact on your physical and mental health so make sure you take care of yourself and your family by sticking to your own budget.

Financial stress is a type of chronic stress which puts the body into a flight, fright, freeze response. It is the type of stress which is difficult to recover from so please be creative this holiday season and see how little you can spend.

Put a plan together

Pre-planning can make everything easier on the day. If you are cooking a big meal for the family, try writing out the exact time that everything needs to go in the oven and for how long. I.e. Potatoes at 10 am, Roast Beef, at 11 am and so on.

This makes everything a lot easier as you won’t have to work out the timing of everything on the day. You can also have a plan for where everyone is going to sleep if you are hosting as well as any activities you’re going to be doing like going carol singing if that’s something you or your family does.

Make sure you get quality Me Time

If you are the host/hostess it is really important to plan some time for yourself. How much time you need will depend on your personality type. Extroverts might not need as much time to recharge whereas introverts need more alone time.

Plan in as much quiet time as you need for yourself to make sure you can enjoy the day too. It’s so important to be aware of what we each need to feel good and look after our health. Me Time is so individual, it could be going for a cycle or a run, it could be booking a massage. Maybe having a long bath and reading a book is what refills your cup. Whatever helps you to recharge your batteries, do as much as possible of it.

Celebrate the spiritual meaning

One of the best ways to stop stressing during the holiday season is to remember the spiritual meaning. Even if you are not religious, there will be a spiritual meaning you can celebrate such as celebrating the love you have for your family.

When you remind yourself about the deeper reasons you are celebrating the holiday the little stuff doesn’t seem so important. If you find the holiday season difficult because of the death of a loved one you can set time aside to remember your loved one. And if you are spending Christmas alone, finding a spiritual meaning to celebrate can also really help you to feel connected to the day even if you don’t have friends and family to share it with.

The holiday season can be enjoyed by everyone by following some or all of these tips. I hope you found something you can use. I’d love to hear in the comments if you have any more tips to share.

Article written by:

Dawn Symons from First Aid For Stress and Maga Therapy. Dawn has lectured and written widely, specialising in tension & stress reduction irrespective of the cause, applying the latest scientific thinking to provide logical, effective & progressive results. She facilitates the First Aid For Stress Program for people suffering from Fatigue / ME / CFS / Anxiety / Depression and Chronic Illness.