Navigating Christmas Stress – Five Steps to Reducing Holiday Anxiety
Navigating Christmas Stress can be challenging. Let’s face it -while Christmas is supposed to be a celebration of love and peace, the run-up to the festive days can be a time of anxiety and stress. We know this, we dread this, and yet this is something that happens on repeat in our lives each year.
And while making this a special time for the family can be super rewarding - after all we’re creating family traditions and making memories for years to come - this often comes at the cost of our own calm, rest, and well-being. In many families, it’s still the women who are in charge of planning, organising, buying, wrapping, cooking, decorating, remembering, soothing, driving, and cleaning for the big celebration. Phew – even writing this list is making me feel exhausted, and I’ve probably forgotten half of the things you’re doing each year without thinking twice.
Luckily, with a bit of intent and planning, you can make sure that by the end of the festive period you’re ready to enjoy your summer rather than collapse in an exhausted heap. Here’s my list of five tips to not just survive, but actually enjoy this ‘favourite time of the year’:
1. Focus on the Outcome
Why are you doing all this? Often, half the things we do, aren’t strictly necessary to what we want. Sit down and take a few minutes to focus on what you actually, really, want for Christmas. Close your eyes and focus on how you want to feel, and how you want your loved ones to feel. Probably joyful and relaxed, right? Keep this in mind when you plan and prepare. If adding artful bows to your presents will make those you love feel joyful and relaxed, go right ahead. If not – skip this bit, and Christmas will still be just as precious. The same goes for all other things on your to-do list – will adding a third desert to your Christmas lunch really add to that magical festive feeling, or will it stress you out more, and thus achieve exactly the opposite to what you’re intending? When you’re feeling anxious and stressed, it’s likely that these feelings will rub off on those around you.
2. Make a Plan, Then Stick to It
Write down what to do when, and tick tasks off as you go. That way, you won’t be hit with a million unexpected chores at the last minute. And while you’re planning, keep step 1 in mind: only commit to things that align with your Christmas vision. In other words, ‘Marie Kondo’ it: if it doesn’t serve your purpose or goal for Christmas, and if it doesn’t bring you joy – out it goes! This will help reduce your sense of overwhelm and the anxiety about getting everything done in time.
3. Honour Your Boundaries
Set some reminders on your phone to check in with yourself at regular intervals during the day. How are you feeling? What are your energy and stress levels right now? December is a time when there’s often more stress in all areas of life, and work can be crazy ahead of the coming break. When everyone’s stress levels are elevated, it can be easier to get saddled with extra tasks.
4. Delegate
To your partner, friends, or aunty, to the cat. Involve everyone in your holiday plans, and even the kids will enjoy a little bit of responsibility for a part of the Christmas celebrations. If the thought of letting go of a little bit of control is ramping up your feelings of anxiety, circle back to step one. Is it really so bad, if something looks a little wonky, or different to how you imagined it? By delegating tasks to someone else, you’re not only giving yourself a much needed breather, but allowing them the satisfaction of a little ownership.
5. Begin And End Each Day With Some Intentional Me-Time
Take 10 minutes in the morning to centre yourself. Make yourself a nice cuppa and focus on what you’re grateful for. It can be something different or new each day, but really flesh it out. Don’t just think it, but feel it, hear, see, smell it. The nice warm glow you feel, will tell you that you’ve got it. Then set your intention - how do you want to feel about your day in the evening? Finish with a few gentle yoga stretches. At night, that that same time to reflect on what went well, set your intention for the next day, and do some deep, relaxing belly-breathing to calm your nervous system for a good night’s sleep.
Following these steps can help you reduce anxiety around navigating the festive period by easing your stress levels and helping you focus on your values. If you want a little more help with managing anxiety in your life, contact me for a complimentary chat to see how I can support you to live a calm and joyful life.
Merry Christmas, lovely. You’ve got this.
