The holidays are an exciting time filled with meaningful traditions—but they can also take a toll on your personal wellbeing. Between the steady stream of sweets at office parties, disrupted sleep schedules trying to fit everything in, skipped workouts, and navigating tricky dietary choices at family dinners, it’s easy to come out of the season feeling run down. Who doesn’t want less stress during the holidays?
The good news, you can protect your health and still feel the joy. There are ways to keep yourself from burning out like a strand of Christmas lights. You’ll discover smart and sane ways to maintain consistent self-care amidst the flurry of activities, set healthy boundaries when your time and energy feels tapped, and calmly roll with the holiday chaos around you. Let’s uncover how you can tend to your mental and physical wellbeing so you can enjoy the true meaning and magic of the season—without that “I survived the holidays” exhaustion.
You deserve to feel just as merry and bright when the decorations come down! Here’s to keeping calm and making this most wonderful time nurture your body so it can truly be the most wonderful time of the year.
Keep reading if you’re ready to find simple ways to feel less stress and more cheer this holiday season.
Set Priorities
If you want to have less stress, the first thing you’ll need to do is set your priorities. Obviously this is a busier time of year and we can’t just make more time. So, instead we have to figure out what are our “must do’s” are. If you know what can’t be neglected, you can start eliminating or delaying the things that don’t need your time and attention right now. You might have to ask yourself, “what would happen if this didn’t get done?”.
Maybe there are some things on your list that are truly important, but it doesn’t have to be you that does them. Other than deleting things from your to-do, you may also choose to delegate tasks. Most of us have people in our lives that are ready and willing to help if we just ask. It’s definitely worth the ask if it can help make room in your schedule and lighten your mental load.
Make a Plan
Once you know your priorities, you’ll need to map out a plan to actually get them done. Just knowing what they are isn’t going to cut it. Put them on the calendar. Set reminders if needed. Having the must do’s scheduled means you’ve allotted time for them and you don’t have to keep thinking about what’s on the list. It only causes extra stress and time when we have to keep trying to figure out what needs to be done next and when to fit it in.
Also, planning things out ahead of time, like meals, makes it easier to stay on track with making healthier choices. When we’re crunched for time and have more decisions to make we tend to choose what’s most convenient at the time and not necessarily what’s best for us.
Schedule Down Time
While you’re scheduling your “to-do’s”, don’t forget to schedule time that is just for you to relax and unwind. We can’t just go, go, go without recharging. It takes a huge toll on us physically and mentally. We need some down time every day if we want less stress and better health.
I’m not suggesting you take a daily trip to the spa or anything like that. It can be as little as 5 minutes alone in a quiet space to just close your eyes and breathe, a quick walk around the block listening to the sounds of nature, or sipping some warm tea while reading a book you enjoy.
Whatever your down time looks like, make it something that you enjoy and makes you feel calm and recharged. Taking the time to do this won’t just create less stress for you, it will help everyone you interact with as well. Feeling more joy within ourselves helps us spread that joy to others.
Learn to Say “No”
Let’s face it, there is usually more things going on during the holidays than we can possibly make time for, right? So, once again, you’ll need to revisit those priorities. We more than likely can’t say “yes” to everything that we’re invited to or asked to take part in. If something doesn’t bring you joy or serve you and your family in some way, just say “no”. You don’t have to say it exactly like that. But, you can politely decline without explanation. Your sanity is worth it! I’m sure your friends and family wouldn’t want you to trade that just to attend some party or holiday activity even if they would love to have you there.
You always have a choice in the things you agree to. Saying yes to the things that create more stress and don’t serve you is the same as saying “no” to your own health and well-being. So, say “yes” to you and “no” to the other things.
Get Enough Sleep
I know there’s so much to do and if you just sleep a little less you could get more done, right? Maybe and maybe not. Sure, that’s added time to work on your to-do list, but if you don’t get the rest you need it might be counter productive. When we’re tired, we’re also less organized, focused, and productive. If we get the rest we need, we might just get things done more quickly and efficiently.
Plus, we’re trying to reduce the stress during the holidays aren’t we? When we sacrifice sleep we also naturally increase our cortisol (stress hormone) levels even if we don’t feel extra stressed. The increase in cortisol puts our health at risk and makes us more likely to gain weight as well. Just more things to be stressed about!
Making sleep a priority, especially during the holidays, is a must if you want to keep your stress levels and your health in check. Also, feeling run down all season doesn’t make it very merry and bright. I’d say it’s more like moody and miserable.
Show Gratitude
The holiday season is a time for giving and a time for sharing with our family and friends. Giving and being around loved ones creates joy in our lives. What brings even more joy into our lives is acknowledging the things we are grateful for. When we focus on the things we have, instead of the things we don’t, we encourage positivity. Having a positive outlook leads to more joy and less stress.
You could simply take a few moments each day to think about what you are grateful for or you could keep a journal where you can write down a few things each day. The journal can be really helpful because you can then go back later and remind yourself of all you have to be thankful for, which might be needed on those days it’s hard to think of things. Whichever way works for you is the way to go.
Maybe you could even get the rest of the family in on it too. When the whole family is together, have each person share what they are happy about in their lives that day. It’s nice to hear what our kids and partners are grateful for as well.
Take Care of Your Body and Mind
One of the best ways to relieve stress is through exercise. So, when you’re making your priority list don’t eliminate time for exercise. It is a must for staying healthy and stress free during the holidays. Even if your schedule is more full than usual, you should still be able to fit time for movement in. Maybe you need to break it down into smaller time frames throughout the day instead of a big chunk of time all at once. Perhaps you can change you normally longer moderate workout into a shorter more intense workout to use the little amount of time more effectively. Your workout doesn’t have to take all your time, but it should still be a part of your daily routine.
Regular exercise keeps your body and mind healthy. Not only does it relieve stress, but it helps you have more energy and feel better. When we feel better, we are more positive, and we therefore experience more joy and less stress. So, get moving and get those endorphins flowing!
You Deserve the Joy and Not the Stress
While the holidays may include some indulgent treats and chaotic moments, remembering your core priorities provides perspective. By pre-planning balanced meals, blocking off me-time, adapting traditions that drain you, and openly communicating needs, you can partake in the festivities that nurture you and politely pass on those that don’t. No need to perfectly execute Pinterest-crafty events or say yes to every invite when you just don’t have the time or energy. Instead, simplify. The point isn’t presents, performances and perfection—it’s meaningful connection. Scale back the unnecessary stress so you can truly show up for the things that matter.
The magic is being fully present as you thoughtfully tend to your health along the way. With these insights, you now have the tools to protect your sanity and prioritize your well-being while still enjoying the fun of the season. May your days be merry and bright because you’re purposefully making them that way. Here’s to an abundant holiday filled with good health and wellness!
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