How To Have a Stress Free Holiday Season

Does the holiday season stress you out? Do you tend to place far more expectations on yourself to please the people in your life? Maybe the trick behind easing that stress & worry is to think more like a minimalist. Here are 6 Ways on How To Have A Stress Free Holiday Season

Plan Ahead

I personally love getting most of my holiday shopping done 2 months before December. Why? So I can enjoy the holiday season & not feel stressed out. I’m not a procrastinator whatsoever, so I love planning early. I make a list of who I’m gifting, who we are sending cards to (if any) & the budget around everything else. Having a game plan like this can help you see what is necessary & what can be nixed.

Talk to Family Early

Along with this game plan, you need to discuss with family about gifts early & expectations. If you have a huge family, maybe suggest Secret Santas or White Elephant gift exchanges. Sometimes, you need to openly & honestly discuss your budget & thoughts around the holiday. The earlier you discuss this, the easier and less caught off guard people would be later on.

Have a Spending / Gift Limit

I think gift giving can become rather overwhelming and out of hand if you let it. I know when I’m shopping for a loved one, I tend to find tons of ideas. But I’ve learned I need to limit the amount to save money. And if there are people you can leave out of gift exchanges, do it. Instead of giving material items, you can simply spend more time with the person or surprise them with a future event. If you need gift ideas, check out my previous blogmas post on my Minimalist Gift Guide.

Focus on the Experiences More

You don’t always have to spend money on material items to show people you care about them. Christmas to me, is about spending time with the people you care about. And with it being pandemic times, seeing family & friends may be difficult. So plan a phone call or zoom get together. I remember around Easter, we had a zoom dinner with my boyfriend’s family & it was a great way to see everyone at a safe distance.

Be Intentional With Your Time & Energy

Like everything in life, you have to prioritize what matters to you. And remember, if you make everything important, nothing truly is. Make time for what YOU want to do for the holiday, not what other people think you should do. The holidays are supposed to be a fun time of year. Don’t stress yourself out with too much on your plate.

Listen To Your Heart

Along with being intentional, you also have to be true to yourself. I feel like the holidays can revolve around pleasing your family. And although it is important to honor your family members & loved ones & make time for them, you still need to follow your instinct of how you wish to celebrate. And this doesn’t make you selfish, you are simply honoring yourself as well as others. There’s a give and take with the holidays. But always remember, you can’t please everyone.

-B

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