Holiday Survival Guide 2021

It’s that time of year again, and for many of us, our stress levels are rising higher and higher. Between the time with family that can be unpredictable, the stress of extra social outings and gift buying, and the realization that another year is coming to a close, the holidays can sometimes feel all but joyful.

And this year, to top off all the usual holiday pizzazz, Covid continues to loom around us and add to our woes and worries. If you are finding yourself wondering how we are already at the holiday season, and more importantly, how you are going to make it through, you are not alone! Below are some tips that will help make this year’s holiday season a teeny bit brighter.

The List

In order to make this holiday season a bit less stress-inducing, you’ll need to figure out just what you’re dealing with. Sure, you know you are already feeling anxious and stressed. I want you to take a closer look at the things that have you feeling that way so that you can begin to know what to do to help make things easier.

I want you to start by thinking about the time left between today and the next holiday on your calendar. Go ahead and pull out your calendar, or just do a mental checklist and think about the social obligations, family obligations, work items, and various things that you have planned. I want you to make a list of all items that are not a part of your typical daily schedule.

Merry and... Scary?

Now, I want you to divide the items on your list into things that you are looking forward to (Merry), and things that you are not so excited about (Scary). I am guessing there are a lot more items that you are not looking forward to, if so, no worries! It is the holiday season we are talking about, after all, and not all of it is merry and bright.

To make this year go by a little easier, let’s take a closer look at those items that feel less than celebration-worthy. What items from this list can you make just a bit easier to get through? I want you to go through this list one item at a time and see if you can think of a way to move that item a tiny bit closer to the merry side of the list.

Let’s say you chose “buying holiday gifts.” If you are like me, this is something you strongly dislike doing (for those of you who do not feel that way, I envy you). I want you to think about buying holiday gifts for a moment to see if you can identify what it is about that item that you dislike. Maybe it is the stress of finding the perfect gift, or maybe it is spending money when things feel tight. Once you have your reason(s), what is one small thing that would make this item easier? You might need to get creative here! If you hate feeling like you are buying gifts that will not be enjoyed, perhaps you purchase a gift card instead. Or, if your budget does not have much wiggle room, maybe you can make a gift, or plan a special activity with that person. What other ideas can you think of? Maybe going to only one holiday dinner instead of three, or scheduling a movie night with a friend so that you have a reason to leave the party early. Anything you can do to make these tasks any easier counts!

What About the Truly Scary?

Great job on being creative! Hopefully, you are starting to see a lot of your holiday obligations as less dreadful than before. Even with this creativity, there are probably still a few items on your scary list that feel beyond hope. Items that you truly dread. These items are things that cannot be changed to be any more enjoyable - they are things you simply have to endure. For these items, I want you to think about two things: what can you do before to prepare yourself, and what can you do after to celebrate getting through? Let’s say you can’t get out of your company Christmas party this year. Will having a friend pick out your outfit the week before ease your mind a bit? Or maybe leaving that morning reserved for time at your favorite coffee shop? Once the party is over, how can you reward yourself? Perhaps a hot bath before bed, going on a long walk the next day? You can think of this as book ending the scary item (starting and ending with positive things). Doing this can help the time spent on the item itself go by a little easier. What kind of bookends sound good to you?

The Wrap-Up

To conclude, not everything about the holiday season is merry and bright, in fact, some of it is downright dreadful and scary. It’s totally ok to feel that way! Being creative about ways you can make the things that you do not typically enjoy just a little easier can take a lot of stress out of them. And for the things that can’t be improved, book ending them with positive experiences can help you make it through. The holidays can be a lot to get through, but don’t underestimate the big impact that these small changes can have!