Sometimes, the holiday season can feel like it is filled with more stress than joy. That can be because of the natural business of the season. Or it can be because you are navigating grief, loss, or other challenging circumstances on top of the holidays. However this season finds you, all of us at Rochester Mom Collective wish you as much peace and as little stress as possible. To that end, here are some ideas my family has tried over the years to de-stress the holidays.
Decompress your schedule. It’s easy to over-schedule the family calendar this time year. There are so many people to see, and so many seasonal events around town. If you thrive with a full calendar, great! If you don’t, consider picking a shortlist of 2-3 events that are most important to your family to attend this season—and feel empowered to say no or “next year” to the rest. You may also want to schedule dedicated downtime as a family. This can look like calendaring afternoons off, home movie nights, or rest days to give your family unscheduled time together.
Simplify gift-giving. Gifts don’t need to be extravagant or bust your budget to be meaningful. There are a lot of great ideas out there to simplify gifts. To cut down on gifts, agree to give and receive family-wide gifts instead of per person gifts, or move to a “secret santa” type arrangement with friends and extended family. To reduce holiday clutter and make sure gifts are meaningful, prioritize experience-based gifts over physical gifts. Or in lieu of gifts, consider giving and receiving donations to a cause or organization that your family cares about. Whatever your strategy, set a gift budget to reduce financial stress during a season that can already be tight for many families.
Do a social media detox. If you find the constant stream of picture-perfect holiday images is putting pressure on you to “keep up” this holiday season, or if you are spending more time on social media than you’d like, now is a great time to take a social media break. Consider signing out and deleting social media apps off your devices for a break. In my experience, even a week or two offline can help me feel refreshed.
Set reasonable resolutions. If you participate in New Years resolutions, keep the pressure low by setting a reasonable number of doable goals. If resolutions stress you out, or if you’re in a challenging season, give yourself permission to skip resolutions all together.
Give yourself credit. Moms often carry the majority of the behind-the-scenes work that makes the holidays happen. From researching and scheduling events, planning and preparing holiday menus, organizing family traditions, decorating the house, and more—there is no denying that this season comes with an increased workload. If you’re extra tired or stressed during the holidays, it makes sense. Give yourself credit for everything you are doing for and with your loved ones this year – it is enough!
