Christmas is absolutely my favorite season: lights, presents, movies, nutcrackers, parties. I love it all!  BRING ON THE CHRISTMAS FUN.

It’s a time of joy, excitement, and anticipation. But it can also be stressful. Honestly, how do you add all the fun of the holidays to your regular schedule which isn’t relenting in its list of demands?

Add to that extra expenses, plates of decorated, delicious snacks and challenging family schedules and dynamics and you’ve got a recipe for burnout. 

So here are my tips to keep holiday stress at bay so you can enjoy the season:

1. Choose gratitude. We all have things to be grateful for. Focus on the blessings in your life, even in the challenging times. The Bible says it like this,

“giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Ephesians 5:20 NKJV

2. Say thank you. Choosing gratitude is much easier when you make “thank you” a regular part of your life. Picking up a coffee at the drive through? Say thanks. Did someone hold open a door for you? Say thank you. Your kids (or spouse) picked up, cooked dinner, did homework, filled gas tank, etc? Say THANK YOU!
3. Eat well. Be kind to yourself: keep your food intake healthy but allow yourself to enjoy some treats when sharing in holiday fun with friends and family. I’m no doctor but I’m fairly certain that your body will feel less stress at your occasional intentional enjoyment of snowman shaped frosted sugar cookies than it does at your never ending food weighing, calorie counting, weight worry.
4. Expect some chaos. The holidays bring chaos. Bad weather, more traffic, travel and maybe more people than you’re used to dealing with. Expect that nothing will go as planned and decide to enjoy Christmas anyway. Chances are, things will turn out better than you thought they would.
5. Spend less. Avoid the trap of believing that you have to spend a lot of money to make someone happy. It really is the thought that counts. Do you bake, sew, knit, paint, scrapbook, carve wood? Your kids’ teachers may enjoy a homemade gift much more than another scented bath duo or “best teacher” coffee cup.
6. Connect. Don’t wear yourself out trying so hard to make the perfect moment that you can’t enjoy the moment. Christmas is a time to connect with those we love. A cup of instant hot cocoa, in your less than clean living room with a friend, is far more relaxing than fancy cocoa in your pristine home…alone. 

No, I haven’t solved society’s stress problem with this blog post. But, I’m confident you will enjoy this Christmas season more if you put these ideas into practice.