The holidays can be so stressful. There is so much to do, so much I want to do yet it seems I’m always short on time. It probably doesn’t help that I tend to wait until nearly the last minute to do most things. There are ways though to avoid some of the holiday stress and to have more time to enjoy the holiday season. With working from home with young children, I’ve had to come up with a plan for a Stress Less Holiday Season.
I love the holidays because they always bring excitement and once a year cheer! However, holiday traditions also tend to bring a lot of hustle and bustle. That is why the importance of stress relief around the holiday season should not be underestimated. Here are my best tips for how to make holidays less stressful. This post is sponsored by Natrol®, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
5 Ways To Make Holidays Less Stressful†
Don’t Expect Perfection
This might be the most important tip I can share and is definitely the most important thing I’ve learned. It’s my new motto. I love the house to be beautifully decorated. I love the tree to be just right, with every ornament perfectly in place. Furthermore, I love my Christmas cookies to look professionally decorated. What I’ve learned though is that none of these things are that important. The house doesn’t have to look perfect to be welcoming and beautiful. The tree looks great when the kids decorate it and the ornaments are scattered too far apart or placed all together. I don’t have to wait for them to go to bed so I can move them around (I’m not the only mom who does this, right?). The kids can help make and decorate the cookies because the people we’ll be sharing them with will love that they come with love from those little hands. Life Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Wonderful!
Let go of unrealistic expectations. Don’t be suffer from perfectionism prison. This has been a tough year. According to a recent Natrol® survey, 72% of Americans believe that 2020 is the most stressful year they have lived through. So go ahead and cut yourself some slack – and everyone else too! Remember that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful!
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is a great way to cut down on the stress. Sit down with a paper and pencil and figure out what is most important to get down and plan time slots to accomplish items on your list. If it is not that important, don’t add it to the list!
Do a little bit each day. Don’t wait until you have hours and hours of time to get things done. Tackle what you can in short, 20-30 minute spans. The kids are napping and it’s quiet. Sit down and address a handful of holiday cards. Take 20 minutes and wrap a few presents you already have and tuck them away. Make a batch of cookie dough and put it in the refrigerator for later. Tidy up a small area and decorate just that space. I almost never have hours and hours uninterrupted to get things done. Oh how I wish I did! I’ve learned to pack in lots of little tasks here and there and I can get a lot accomplished this way. The best part about this is that you can START NOW!
Heading to the store for your regular weekly groceries? Take a minute to check the store ads for sale items that would make good gift items for someone on your list. Pick up gifts when you’re going to be shopping anyway rather than waiting for a time where you can get all of your gift buying done all at once. The same goes for holiday grocery items. If you have pantry, refrigerator, and freezer space start stocking up on groceries now. Many holiday food items are on sale already now. Watch for those sale items and by them a little to a time. This makes tip #2 easier to do – if you have gifts on hand you can wrap them here and there and the same with making and freezing food for the holidays.
Live In The Moment
Now that you have given yourself planning time, switch out of planning/worry mode and focus on the now. Enjoy the present. It truly is a gift. You may want to try some mindfulness exercises or deep breathing to help yourself relax and let go so you can give your attention to what you are doing right now.
Do What Brings You Joy
My favorite tip for how to make holidays less stressful is to do what brings you joy! Make cookies, listen to holiday carols, and decorate your home. Think about your favorite memories from the holidays and feel free to repeat them. Make hot chocolate with your kids. Catch a holiday movie with your spouse. Cozy up on the couch beside the fire with a book. Make time to do the things that make you happy. That will help make all the hectic parts more worth it!
I know, it’s usually time to smell the roses but in the spirit of the holidays we’ll smell the fresh cut pine boughs instead. The holidays aren’t just about the hustle and bustle, they aren’t about things, they aren’t about the decorations. Take time to enjoy the experience, to enjoy your family and friends. Slow down and give up perfect to have more time with those you love. Watch holiday movies, go for a drive and look at Christmas lights, bundle up and build a snowman or make snow angels. Whatever it is you love to do with those you love this year, make the time to do it!
Self Care
Support your body and practice self care. Eating well and getting exercise are important to making sure your body is at its best during this busy time of the year. Getting plenty of sleep is also a huge part of staying healthy both in body and mind.
Managing Holiday Stress
Holiday stress management is important. A big part of my self care is making sure I am getting the supplements I need to help my body function during this season of overdrive. I use a good multivitamin for keeping my energy up and a combination of products from the Natrol® Relaxia™ line to promote calm in my everyday life†.
Natrol® Relaxia™ Offers Drug-Free Stress Relief†
During this busy (and stressful) holiday season, I like to be prepared with drug-free stress relief, and Natrol® Relaxia™ does wonders for my own stress. Stress relief is so important because stress can take a tremendous toll on the body, mind and spirit. The Natrol® Relaxia™ drug-free stress-relief with three different products so you can select the ones that will work best for you.
Relaxia™ Ultimate Calm
Relaxia™ Ultimate Calm is their strongest stress fighter.† I take this one when I am having a particularly high stress day. The proprietary, fast-acting formula reduces occasional stress, anxiety and tension.† I definitely notice that it does help me feel more calm and balanced and it does so in a subtle way so that I don’t feel tired or out of it.† I love that it is 100% drug-free and non-habit forming. It uses a blend of calming herbals – Ashwagandha, L-Theanine, 5-HTP and Lemon Balm.
Natrol® Relaxia™ Day Calm
These Natrol® Relaxia™ Day Calm gummies are fast acting and great for combatting daytime stress and tension.† It uses a soothing blend of 5-HTP, L-Theanine and Lemon Balm. I like the clean formula – non-GMO, vegetarian & gelatin free, gluten free, and NO artificial flavors, sweeteners, synthetic dyes or preservatives. It is also 100% drug-free and non-habit forming, a must for me!
Natrol® Relaxia™ Night Calm
If stress keeps you up at night, you are going to love these Natrol® Relaxia™ Night Calm fast acting gummies to relax the mind and help you fall asleep.†
They use a similar soothing blend of 5-HTP, L-Theanine, and Lemon Balm but they also have Melatonin to help you sleep better.†
You can be assured that these also have a clean formula and are 100% drug-free and non-habit forming. The gummies taste like berries and you just take 2 about thirty minutes before bedtime.
Where To Buy Natrol® Relaxia™:
Learn more at RelaxiaMood.com or find Relaxia products in-store at CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, and Rite Aid.
Conclusion
We can’t stop stress this holiday season but we can make simple choices every day that will help manage it effectively. I hope the five tips above on how to make holidays less stressful are helpful to you. Feel free to share your own stress management tips around juggling all your holiday tasks in the comments or on social media and tag us @familyfocusblog @natrolofficial with hashtags #Natrol, #EveryDAYCALM, and #HoliDAYCALM.
Enjoy the holiday season instead of stressing about what needs to be done or what isn’t perfect. Remember that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful, especially at the holidays. What stress less tips do you have for making the holidays more enjoyable?
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
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