5 Ways to Maintain Your Sanity Over the Holidays

Holiday craziness is around the corner—are you ready? The best way to beat the insanity is to prepare. Here are 5 things you can do to make the holidays easier on your mental health.

1. Say No: One easy way to limit your stress over the holidays is to limit how many events you commit to. Be discerning with your “yeses” and liberal with your “nos.” Being too busy, even with super fun activities, can take all the joy out of them.
2. Host Strategically: Do you usually have people over for the holidays? Even if you love to host, too much is too much. Try to pick a date where you don’t have as many other obligations. We’re always slammed over Christmas, so we try to host Thanksgiving when we can actually enjoy the time with our guests.
3. Drink Responsibly: The holidays are an opportunity to celebrate and spend time with family and friends, but it often involves many activities with drinks. Even though alcohol seems to make our experience better in the moment, it can often make things worse in the long run. I’ve found that as the year winds down, the stress and energy ramp up—and alcohol will magnify whatever emotions we’re feeling. Couple this with the days getting shorter and the temperature getting cooler, it’s not a bad idea to be discerning with every adult beverage we consume, at least until the whirlwind of the season has calmed down.
4. Buy Your Christmas Gifts Early: There are few things worse than navigating all the December activities AND last minute Christmas gifts. Just thinking about it breaks me out in a cold sweat! I’ve learned to plan and purchase all my gifts in November, and it takes off that huge mental load before December even hits, allowing me to enjoy more of the winter festivities.
5. Relinquish What Doesn’t Matter: This is the time to focus on your family and those who matter most. I try not to take on any new tasks or responsibilities. I invest in this precious opportunity of being together during the magic of the holidays. But we can only do this if we take care of ourselves. So set those boundaries!

Holidays are simultaneously fun and stressful, but with preparation, these waters are easier to navigate. We can set ourselves up for success by prioritizing our responsibilities and activities. By setting boundaries and limiting what we add to our plates. Through all the emotions the holidays elicit from us, all we can do is our best. Sometimes we just have to relinquish control and realize that time with loved ones is time well spent.