The holidays are here! I cannot believe that it is December already...but I must say that I am ready to be done with this year! Christmas is a very busy time of year for me and usually I do most of my Christmas shopping on Black Friday. My goal is to be done with all my shopping and wrapping in early December so that as Christmas approaches, I’m not stressed. However, this year has been different and I am feeling the pressure of Christmas more than usual.
So how does Holiday Stress and finances go together, you ask. Just like stress eating, there is stress spending. When people get stressed they forget about budgets they had set up previously and buy gifts just to check things off the list. This has already been a stressful year, so let’s make the Holidays less stressful. Over the next few posts, I will share with you 13 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress.
#1: Set boundaries for your schedule and spending. Over the holidays, you get to choose where you go, how long you’ll stay, who you invite into your home and how much you want to spend. Don’t allow others to set your boundaries. Remember, you can say no to overbooking your calendar. This is a great year to keep the traditions you love and say no to the ones that you don’t love.
#2: Avoid family conflict. This year’s family gatherings will be full of stressful topics: Covid, politics, social norms, etc. Decide which topics you’d like to discuss and just say no to discussing the others. I find even when I agree with what people are saying, always talking about what is happening in 2020 causes me stress. So simply don’t participate in those conversations. Focus on the good things while gathering with your family.
#3: Focus on what you can control. There are only 2 things on this earth that you can control: your thoughts and your actions. Sadly, not everyone has these under control. When stressed, write down all the things that are causing your stress. Make a new list with only the things from that list that you can control and then toss the old list in the trash. Don’t focus on what you can’t control.