5 Tips To Stress Less During The Holidays

This is such a busy time of year. You are still homeschooling and crushing your business goals, but now there is the added pressure to make this time of year magical. How do you stress less during a normally stressful time of year?

‘Tis the season to be jolly and joyful. This is my favorite time of year. The Christmas decorations, the Christmas themed drinks, the ugly sweaters, and the memories made. But let’s be honest mom, this can also be an incredibly stressful time of year for you. Gone are the days of blissful child enjoyment. Most of the holiday planning and decorating falls on your shoulders. Mainly because you are home with the kids, and you want to make this time of year special for them. There are a lot of activities and feasts to prepare for. So how do you stress less during the holidays, so you can enjoy them too?

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5 Tips to Stress Less During the Holidays

Here are my suggestions, but mom don’t let these add more stress. Choose what will work for you and your family.

My childhood memories of this season are magical, and I want my kids to carry the same glow of magic with them as well. No pressure, right?

I want everything to be perfect and fun too. And of course magical. At the same time, I want to relax and enjoy the Christmas season too.

Here are my tips to stress less during the holiday season.

1. Make memories

I have so many fond memories of the holiday season. Whether it was playing Trivia Pursuit on Thanksgiving or opening presents on Christmas Eve. There are so many memories to treasure from this season. And I want my kids to have the same experiences. It can be a lot of work on your shoulders, but here is the goal—make memories.

Instead of focusing on making everything look picture perfect, focus on creating traditions that your kids will want to continue with their families. It’s ok if the Christmas decorations are a little lopsided on the tree. Or the sugar cookies are a hot mess. Your kids will love spending these special moments with you. Stress less by focusing on making cherished memories.

2. Cater Christmas dinner

Now to get very practical. Cater Christmas dinner. I discovered this a few years ago, when I gave birth to my Christmas baby, and it has changed my life. Christmas day always involved me cooking for days, but reality was that I wanted to just chill and enjoy my presents too. I knew that I would not be up to cooking a Christmas feast 10 days after giving birth. Yeah, not happening.

It was my mom who told me about a local restaurant that was creating grab and go Christmas feasts. So we decided to try it. And I was hooked. It was so much easier. Now, everyone agrees that it is not as good as my cooking. But for the convenience it is worth it.

It also wasn’t that expensive. It probably cost about the same amount as buying groceries for the Christmas feast.

Unless, you love to do this. I know that some moms do. So rock your Christmas feast. But if you are like me, and really hate cooking, then this is amazing.

Check local restaurants. We ordered from Cracker Barrel this past year, and we were very happy with what we got (I will probably do it again this year). Omaha steaks also has prepared meals. I’ve eyed their prime rib a few times now. But this is definitely a more expensive option. They do have good food though.

I do make a few things because some of my crew is gluten-free. So I will make my amazing mac and cheese, along with pies that are gluten-free too. But the majority of our food is already prepared for us and this plays a major role in helping me stress less.

3. Give yourself and kids time off

If you can’t take time off from your clients, then give your kids time off from school. But try to take some time off, so you can enjoy the holidays and a break. You need to take breaks, and this is a great time of year to do it as most people tend to slow down from work.

Taking time off will look different for everyone because only you know the school schedule that works best for you and your family.

4. Don’t try to plan your goals

In Part 4 of the Goals Series, we talked about the best time to plan your goals. December is not the best time, for all the reasons mentioned above. There is a lot of internal pressure to figure out how you will conquer the world come January. Give yourself permission to make these big earth-shattering decisions at a less busy time of the year.

It is ok to not start changing the world on January 2. I usually take the entire month of January to figure it out. I put away the Christmas decorations, get the house in back in order, and then start thinking through the things I want to accomplish for the upcoming year.

Be sure to check out the goal series for a realistic guide to accomplishing your goals: Part 1: A Mom’s Realistic Guide to Goal Setting & Crushing Them; Part 2: Setting Goals in Life for Moms—Getting Started; Part 3: Habits Are The Process To Achieve Your Goals For Life; Part 4: Practical Tips to Achieve Goals.

5. Enjoy a good book

There are so many benefits to reading. One of the benefits is to stress less. Reading helps to lower your stress levels. So pick a good book to read. Sit on the couch for hours (let the kids watch a Christmas movie) and enjoy your book.

Pick a dessert book. These are books that are purely for entertainment. Something like a cozy mystery. Or whatever you would consider an easy read. Pick something and enjoy it!

Conclusion to Stress Less During the Holidays

Mom, this can be a busy time of year. If we aren’t careful, it is very easy to get swept up in the busyness and forget to make memories. If you find yourself overly stressed, try one of the steps mentioned above and have a stress less Christmas!

What are some of your tips and tricks for a stress less holiday season? We need to hear your ideas, so share them!