Stress Management & Self-Care through the Holidays

Contributed by Shana Boger, Therapy Intern

The holidays are upon us, and so is Christmas cheer. Or at least it should be, right? The commercialism of the holiday season (not to mention the growing list of Hallmark Christmas movies that are on all month) make us excited for Christmas, but they also create an expectation in our minds. Expectations of the experience and, more importantly, expectations of ourselves. That said, the holidays can also be stressful. How many of us are hosting a holiday party and meal? How long are our holiday shopping lists? Who will all be at the family Christmas party, and how do we ensure that everyone gets along? Hoping for that holiday bonus so you can afford everything on your shopping list? The stress of the holidays can often fog our minds to an extent that we don’t even allow ourselves to enjoy the holidays.
 
I’m noticing this in myself more and more as I grow older, but I most clearly see it in my own mother. My mother is a busy, dedicated woman, and has always been the one to make the holiday meal (which begins months in advance by making a list of all the foods she needs to make, followed by a shopping list, etc.) When the holiday arrives, everything is wonderful. The food is delicious, the tree is lit up beautifully, the stockings are hung just right, and the gifts are wrapped and meticulously placed under the tree. But where is my mother while we’re eating the delicious food? In the kitchen, cleaning up the counters and helping others make their plates. Where is she when we’re opening gifts? Picking up all the wrapping paper we’ve thrown to the side in excitement. She is always thinking about what task needs to be done next in order for things to go smoothly. I know my mother enjoys her role on the holidays, but I also know that stress often overshadows our own excitement of the holidays and, the more I grow into adulthood, the more I feel myself becoming stressed about the holiday season.
 
This holiday season, I want to offer a different way of approaching the holidays. And so I’ve thought to myself – how do we reduce the stress of the holidays? It all comes back to self-care. Here are some simple, yet effective forms of self-care and stress reduction:
 

• Practicing mindfulness and being in the present moment
• Allowing yourself some quiet time, away from the hustle and bustle
• Setting boundaries for your own emotional well-being
• Slowing down! (Mindfulness helps with this, as does quiet time)
• Allowing yourself to smile/laugh!

 
Beyond the few tips that I’ve mentioned here, I also want us to think about the small things that we truly enjoy about the holidays and allow ourselves those things! For me personally, it’s grabbing a Christmas cookie and a cup of hot chocolate, snuggling in with my dog under a cozy blanket on the couch, and watching the Grinch. It is different for all of us. So grab that fa-la-latte from Caribou Coffee. Sit and admire your hard work of decorating the Christmas tree. Go outside and get that fresh air and moment away from your not-so-favorite uncle. Hum or sing your favorite Christmas carol. Whatever it is that makes the holidays less stressful and more enjoyable, do it! After all, the holidays only come around once a year.

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