TIPS FOR A STRESS-FREE HOLIDAY SEASON

During the holiday season, we usually imagine all the beautiful decorations, perfectly baked desserts, and families and friends curled up by a warm fire. However, what usually goes unseen is the stress, anxiety, and depression that thousands of people are affected by each year. If the holidays for you are not as holly jolly, know that you are not alone. With the help from the Mayo Clinic though, you can try to minimize the stress before it becomes too much with these five tips: 

1. Acknowledge your feelings 

Just because it is the holiday season doesn’t mean you have to be as cheerful as every Christmas movie you see on TV. It is okay to express your feelings of sadness if that is what you feel. Know that you can’t force yourself to be happy all year round, and this it is normal to feel sadness. 

2. Reach out 

It is one thing to acknowledge your feelings, but it also just as important to reach out to others when you feel alone. Reach out to different community, religious, or YMCA social events. If you are curious to see what your local YMCA is up to, click here.  

3. Be realistic 

Holiday traditions and rituals may change over time- and that’s okay! Knowing that the holidays don’t have to be perfect or the same each year allows you to be open to creating new traditions. 

4. Learn to say no 

The end of the year is filled with deadlines and holiday events, which can be overwhelming to try to accomplish it all. Learn to say no to every obligation and yes to more self-care and relaxing days.  

5. Don’t abandon healthy habits 

Instead of overindulging due to stress, know how to create a balance. Try having a healthy snack before holiday parties in order to not go overboard, getting plenty of sleep, and making sure to still include some sort of physical activity each day. Keeping a healthy routine during the holiday season will help avoid unnecessary guilt.  

Thank you to the Mayo Clinic for these resources. To learn more about stress management, click here.