Christmas much like Thanksgiving can be a stressful time of the year. It’s difficult not to long for the perfect Christmas you see in TV and movies. And as a result, makes it far too easy for us to put pressure on ourselves to find the “perfect” gifts for everyone, have a “perfectly decorated tree and hones, as well as keep guest entertained and happy. And to make everything worse, all these expectations must be meet on a single day. So if you find yourself worrying, stressed out, overwhelmed trying to put together the perfect Christmas. Then check out these tips for a stress-free Christmas.
Divide Task
Don’t aim for perfection, but aim for good enough. Divide your task into three different categories must do, could do, and should do. Then start by focusing on the “must-do” tasks first. Once you’ve completed all of those tasks, then move on to the “could do” tasks. After that, if you have time, work on the “should do” tasks. By doing this, you focus on the core of what needs to be done instead of stressing over the little extra details.
Ask for Help
Too often, we try to take on everything ourselves. And when we do that, we create stress for ourselves. It’s OK to ask for help and delegate tasks to others. Sharing the workload with others can build team spirit, encourage everyone to take responsibility, and share in the success of the day.
It’s OK to say ‘no’ Sometimes
Do what’s best for you. Decide what you’re going to cook, budget, and what parties you want to attend. And if people are upset by the decisions you’ve made, let them be. You can’t please everyone, and it’s not your job to make others happy. Overcommitting is one of the biggest causes of holiday stress. So remember it’s OK to say ‘no’ and don’t take on more than you can handle.
Don’t forget yourself
During the Christmas season, we get some caught up thinking about everyone else we forget ourselves. So remember it’s your Christmas too. Write your own Christmas list or bucket list for the month. Think about gifts you’d like to give yourself, and what you need to feel relaxed and happy.
Change Your Perspective
When it comes to Christmas, not everything will be perfect. The store may run out of an ingredient, or a snow hits, and your flight gets delayed. Even though Christmas is turning out the way you planned, it doesn’t make it a disaster. Focus on the positives and not the negatives. A few bad things don’t change a good day into a bad day unless you look at it that way.
Christmas Planner
To help you plan a stress-free Christmas, I’ve included a free printable Christmas planner. It’ll help you plan your Christmas day meal, guest list, shopping list, and to-do list. Grab your free printable here.
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Great tips! “Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for good enough.” I LOVE that! The sentence alone is enough to take pressure off! Thanks for sharing 😊
Thank you! Shifting your focus from ‘perfect’ to ‘good enough’ really does help put things into perspective and take away some of the stressors of the holiday season.
I love how these tips were actually super practical! These are easy ways to eliminate excess stress during Christmas time (:
Thanks for reading. It’s certainly more fun to enjoy the holiday season than stressing out about every little thing.
Very good tips. You wrote shortly but very correctly! Christmas time is one of the most stressful times of the year. I even don’t like to do shopping at this time, because people all around are so stressed and aggressive! People are forgetting that relaxing together can be more worth than that present. So relax, enjoy the Christmas time and as you said – don’t be perfect 😉
Thank you, during this stressful time of the year we have to remember to relax and enjoy the holiday season.
Hi Angela! Such a great post! Dividing task is a good one. I’m that person who likes to cram and get everything done! I have to have it all done right this very minute. Once I started diving task it was most definitely a stress reliever! Great tips
Thank you! Breaking up tasks is a great way to get things done without feeling overwhelmed. I used to cram to get everything done and would feel stressed out because of it. But by breaking things up, I complete my main task and don’t stress over the little things.