Celebrating (and Surviving) the Holiday Season

To enjoy the holiday season while acknowledging how stressful and crazy the holiday season can get, consider these suggestions.

1. Let Go of Expectations

Holiday stress always peaks during the winter holidays. In addition to the usual stresses of event planning, gift shopping, and scheduling conflicts, the winter holidays also come with a higher-than-average amount of pressure to participate in the festivities. It’s rare to hear someone freaking out about not being able to go watch the Fourth of July fireworks, but freakouts about missing holiday events and traditions occur so much that everyone jokes about it. So instead of losing sleep over lots of gifts, lots of decorations, family drama, travel challenges, and fresh-falling snow on Christmas morning, let go of the big expectations and enjoy the season at whatever level you want. Speaking of which…

2. Be Festive (At Your Level)

Despite what the nonstop barrage of holiday sights and sounds might have you believe, there has never been a required amount of festiveness. In other words, you have the right to be as festive as you want and not face judgement or consequences. Want to decorate your home exterior with so many lights you’ll make Clark Griswold jealous? Go right ahead. Only feel like putting up a stocking on the wall and calling it a day? Also, great. No decorations? No problem. So many decorations that you need to keep them in a storage unit 11 months out of the year? It’s your call. Just don’t plug into your neighbor’s power to shine the lights. Power companies frown on that kind of stuff.

3. Be Around Loved Ones

Doesn’t matter if it’s friends, family, work buddies, or the guys you see every day in the store. It’s important to be around people you love during the holidays. In addition to raising spirits and maintaining mental health, it’s also one of the simplest ways to be festive. Just by greeting each other during the holidays, you’re accomplishing the dual requirements of being around loved ones while also being festive.

4. Volunteer

There’s a lot of phrases encouraging volunteering, and while they’ve been repeated so often they come off as overused, they also happen to be true. Helping others has the side benefit of helping yourself, and service to others becomes especially vital during the holiday season. Plus, there’s no limit to the work volunteers can do, so if the idea of working in a soup kitchen or food pantry doesn’t seem particularly appealing, services can also be provided in offices, writing, organization, and public outreach. Just pick a group that sounds interesting and reach out to them; you may be surprised at the amount of good you do accomplish together.

5. Avoid Excess

Know and respect your level of indulgence. Food, drink, and activity will be easily found in the coming weeks, so know when to stop. You’ll feel better for obeying your own boundaries.

6. Plan an Escape Route

If all else fails, have a plan to get away from all the stress and insanity of the holidays. And if you can’t afford to travel to Aruba until January, maybe find a quiet coffee store or tea shop and just sit with a hot drink for a while.

7. Give Yourself Permission to be Happy

It’s the holidays, after all. Go enjoy them however you want.