The festive season is just around the corner, and of course it’s a time for joy and celebration. However, it can also be a stressful time for many people, particularly if you are juggling family and career responsibilities with hosting guests, buying gifts, attending events and so on. Here are some strategies to help you manage your time and avoid Christmas burnout.
Set a budget
Christmas may be a magical time of year, but it can also be expensive, particularly if you are a parent. If your finances tend to be a source of stress at Christmas, be proactive and set yourself a budget. Allocate money for gifts, decorations, food and entertainment, and keep a track of everything you spend on a spreadsheet so you don’t exceed your budget.
There may be swaps or changes you can make without much sacrifice, such as sourcing some nearly-new items for your children’s wish list, or agreeing to do a family ‘secret Santa’ rather than buying gifts for everybody. Shared family days such as winter walk or a mince pie baking session can be just as fun and memorable as an expensive visit to a theme park.
Let go of perfectionism
Don’t try to do it all or set unrealistic expectations: this only creates more pressure and stretches your time and energy levels more thinly. Prioritise your tasks into ‘must-dos’ such as grocery shopping, and ‘maybes’ or ‘like-tos’ such as attending a party, and ones that can be put off until the New Year.
If you are hosting an event, don’t get too stressed about having the house immaculately clean and decorated or the perfect food and drink: people are ready to be generous and enjoy themselves at this time of year and aren’t out to judge you. Good company and positive energy are what makes a great festive gathering.
Protect your energy levels
When faced with a packed schedule, it’s tempting to fill every waking moment with chores, rushing through meals and eating into our usual downtime. However, downtime should be a protected part of your routine, just as important as working, cooking, socialising and so on.
Sleep is also essential to keep our mood, energy levels and overall wellbeing on track. Take advantage of evenings when you don’t have any commitments to get an early night rather than stay up late watching TV.
If you have trouble getting off to sleep or find that you wake up after a few hours, practise some meditation such as progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing to help de-clutter your mind and release tension from your body.
Avoid drinking alcohol or eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime, and swap caffeinated drinks for alternatives such as herbal teas or cocoa.
Share the load
Don't try to do it all yourself: if you have a family, delegate responsibilities and take advantage of grocery deliveries or even a meal prep service.
It's impossible to completely eliminate stress from the holiday season for many of us, but by planning ahead you can keep it under control and enjoy the rewards of all your effort. If there are any emotional difficulties that you would like more help with, you may wish to consider exploring them with Internal Family Systems therapy.
Comments