With the holiday season almost upon us, you may be looking forward to all beautiful decorations, lights, and celebrations. For many people, while the holidays can be an exciting time to get together with family and friends, it can seem stressful and overwhelming.
After all, there is just so much to do and get done, like cooking, cleaning, gift shopping, decorating your home, attending school events, and much more! If you are tired of feeling stressed during the holidays, and want to truly be able to enjoy the season, here are some great tips to use this holiday season.
Start you gift shopping now. If you make it a point to take care of at least two people on your holiday gift list every week starting now, you should have all of your shopping done well in advance and not have to deal with overcrowded shopping centres.
Plan holiday meals you can make ahead of time and reheat. There are all sorts of meals you can make ahead of time, so on the actual holiday, instead of being stuck in the kitchen all day long, you can relax and enjoy the festivities with your family and friends.
Simplify the number of decorations and lights you put up. Some people like to go overboard and decorate their homes from top to bottom indoors and outdoors. Instead focus on a few key areas of the home you want to decorate that won’t take longer than a day to put up.
Go “Pot-luck” for your holiday party. Rather than you being stuck preparing all the food, getting beverages and having cookies and other desserts available, divide up the responsibilities among all your guests. Ask everyone to bring a dish to pass, drinks, or dessert items.
Forego using your holiday China and silverware. If you want to skip having to wash dishes, invest in some holiday themed paper plates and paper napkins. You even find plastic holiday coloured cutlery. Cleaning up after a meal, party, or family get-together will be a breeze and give you more stress-free time to enjoy the holidays.
Limit the number of holiday parties you will attend.Pick and choose the ones you really want to go to and skip the rest. Having a quiet night at home with your family can be much more relaxing.
Request that out-of-town relatives stay in a hotel. It can be nice to have out-of-town relatives come visit over the holidays. However, having them stay with you their entire visit can escalate your stress levels and make you realize your home is not big enough for everyone.
Schedule counselling sessions with a licensed counsellor. You may find the best way to relieve your holiday stress is by being able to talk about whatever is on your mind without having to censor yourself. Speaking to a counsellor allows you to speak your mind in a supportive and judgement free environment.
For help dealing with stress and anxiety caused by the holidays or any other time of the year, please feel free to contact me, Ellen Starr, at 416-488-3102 to schedule a counselling session today!
