The season of joy can easily turn into a season of overwhelm if you don’t take care of your mental health!
From financial obligations to personal commitments, there’s a lot to do in the month of December.
All the noise around the holidays and the expectations to do more and buy more can throw you off balance, leaving you feeling irritable and overwhelmed.
It’s hard to get into the festive spirit when you’re fighting end-of-year fatigue.
Keep your arsenal of tools ready to manage the holiday stress in a healthy way.
15 Stress Relieving Tips to Help You in the Tense Holiday Moments
Set a Positive Intention for Yourself
Before starting your daily routine, spend a few minutes in silence. Set a positive intention to begin every day with a sense of calm and peace. For example,
- “Today, I intend to choose trust over fear.”
- “I will only focus on what truly matters.”
- “I will actively create moments that bring peace.”
Setting positive intentions while breathing deeply will allow you to find a calming focus and feel real peace.
Sit with this feeling for a while.
Work on one thing at a time. Much of our stress comes from the expectations of how things should be.
Make Sure Your Goals and Expectations are Realistic
Set realistic goals and expectations.
Take breaks, let others help you, and prioritize your own needs.
Pause and ask yourself, who are you doing it for?
Obstacles are everywhere.
You set your boundaries, but there can still be people who overstep them.
You make elaborate plans for the holidays, but it might fall apart at the last minute.
It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos when things don’t go as planned.
This is where your mindfulness practice will come in handy.
Come back to the place of inner stillness as many times as you have to.
Affirmations for Finding Calm Amidst the Stress
Here are a few affirmations that can help you ride the waves of intense emotions during the holiday season.
- “I’m doing my best, and that’s enough”
- “I can maintain strong boundaries no matter what anyone says”
- “I have the right to protect my peace”
- “It’s okay to be imperfect”
- “I have everything I need to enjoy the holidays”
- “This holiday season will be one of the best I’ve ever had”
- “My finances are in control”
- “I breathe in calm and breathe out worry”
- “I release the pressure to get it all done perfectly”
It’s also important to end the day with positive intentions. Reframe all the unpleasant experiences you had throughout your day. Spare a few minutes to come up with a better way of looking at things. Think of the things you are grateful for.
These few minutes of reflection can drastically change the trajectory of your holiday season.
Use Your Breath and Intentions to Find Your Peace – Anywhere You Are
No matter where you are, you can always access the reservoir of peace within using your breath and intentions. Mini mindfulness check-ins will allow you to center yourself.
These little pockets of calm can help you move past the stress of the moment and make room for clarity amidst the holiday hustle and bustle.
- Allow the difficult emotions to come and go on their own.
- Don’t hold onto them.
- Let them move through you.
Give yourself permission to spend the holidays your way. Focus on traditions that spark a sense of joy in your heart. Choose activities that work for you.
After all, every family has its own dynamic. You don’t need to follow every mainstream expectation around the “most wonderful time of year”.
Spend quality time with your loved ones. The laughter and smiles, and the sense of love and belongingness are the real gifts of the season.
Take care of yourself.
It’s been quite a year, and you deserve to end it on a brighter note. Allow yourself to slow down and focus on the here and now. You deserve to celebrate your holidays to your heart’s content without getting caught up in worries about the future or past regrets.
Wishing you a joyous and healthy holiday season!
Flashback to December 2023’s Message: Focus on Your Values
Around this time of the year, your energy is pulled in different directions – from family obligations, and work commitments to gift-giving and holiday activities. On top of that, there’s anxiety about the new year and what it might bring.
A big part of our holidays are dictated by unrealistic expectations.
We try so hard to live up to the idealized notion of a perfect holiday that we end up getting caught in the trap of stress and negativity – the complete opposite of the holiday spirit.
Your Values: Focusing on What’s Important
Seeing all the seemingly perfect social media posts about holiday get-togethers, we experience massive FOMO.
Instead of celebrating love and family, we get worked up about the aesthetics, and picking the perfect gifts. The glitzy ads try to convince us that if we don’t buy the most expensive gifts, we won’t be making our loved ones happy.
Add to that the stress of making elaborate meals, shopping, wrapping gifts, traveling, decorating, and running around to arrange everything.
All that pressure about wanting things to be picture-perfect leads to a sense of tension around the holidays. By the time the family gatherings actually happen, you feel anxious and overwhelmed.
Changing Your Approach to Giving
Gift-giving doesn’t have to be about buying the most expensive items.
You can honor your values and give something genuinely thoughtful without buying unnecessary stuff.
Change your approach to gift giving. Try to find sustainable choices or go for homemade gifts.
Take time to listen to your loved ones. Spend time together, and make new memories. Visit the local Christmas market, make ornaments, or bake some holiday treats together.
Most importantly, practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself and others through it all.
What Do the Holidays Mean to You?
Remind yourself what the holidays are really all about.
Too many activities and social commitments can spread you thin. You don’t have to do it all. Let go of the pressure to be perfect.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
The pictures you see on social media aren’t the whole truth. You can’t compare your entire life with one aspect of other people’s lives you see on social media.
Don’t buy into the myth of the perfect family time. The truth is people are imperfect and plans don’t always work out as expected. You’re around people you don’t see often and it’s only natural that there will be some resistance and clash of opinions around family events.
Can You Set Healthy Boundaries With Your Family? What it Looks Like & 3 Communication Tips→
You’re allowed to set boundaries around people that upset you. Limit your time with difficult relatives.
Do not overburden yourself.
Be clear about your priorities. You don’t have to say yes to every family commitment. Focus on the activities that are truly important to you.
Make Time for What Matters
Make time for activities that help you to feel more calm and centered. Slowing down will allow you to be in the right mental space to enjoy the holiday season.
Get in touch with the real spirit of holidays – love, joy, gratitude, and being together.
It’s a wonderful time to practice gratitude for all the blessings you have.
Take a few deep breaths and give yourself a chance to slow down.
Be aware of your triggers and pay attention to your feelings. Work towards changing your responses to tense situations so you can cope better this holiday season.
Reflecting on Your Values
The ultimate goal of traditions is to bring feelings of closeness and cheer. If a particular tradition is causing stress, let it go. Do the holidays differently this year. Make some changes.
You can experience the holiday magic while staying connected to your values and doing what feels right to you.
Happy Holidays!
Embrace Imperfection – The End of the Month Motivational Message – January
Photo by cottonbro studio
