How to Stay Sane During the Holidays

The holidays are a time for seeing relatives, giving thanks, and enjoying a couple of days off. Unfortunately, it’s also a time for increased stress, sleep deprivation, and overeating.

 
As a parent, you’re trying to coordinate with family members, cook a feast, and take advantage of every second you have off to get the bills paid, the house clean, and get the kids ready for family. When you are ready to relax, there is an abundant of food around you to eat to fill the tension floating around you. Eating pumpkin cheesecake seems to help … until you start worrying about your waistline. The idea that another major holiday is just a month away is enough to make you feel ill. And in fact, the stress of it can actually make you ill.

But did you know the one anti-dote to stress reduction? Social support. Social support can actually reduce the amount of stress people experience (Sarafino, 2006). Before you lose it, here are a few ways you can reach out to others for support during Christmas:

THE MEAL
If you’ve already cooked for Thanksgiving, you’ve proven you know how to do so. Feel free to order a meal from your local grocery store for Christmas instead of slaving over another big feast to save on time and sanity. If you want to cook, ask your older children or the family members that will be dropping in on dinner to each cook a side or meal for dinner. That way, you’ll only have one or two dishes to prepare yourself.

THE GIFTS
With the economy still in a slump, everyone’s Christmas budget is stretched thin. You can use your tight spending limit to your advantage. Instead of filling the Christmas tree with presents, plan an activity the whole family will remember for years to come. You can go on a road trip day to see local hotspots or go skiing or even camping. Mull the ideas over with your children so that the whole family is involved. If you have young children, ask your siblings for unique ideas that fit your city.

YOUR MIND
As easy as it is to let yourself lose it during Christmas, remind yourself repeatedly to stay calm. Just like a wedding, Christmas probably won’t turn out as perfect as you planned it. Reach out to your spouse or your friends to help you relax. Don’t try to handle the holiday and its strains alone.

Above all else, just remember to have a good time with your family and loved ones.

Sources:
Sarafino, E. (2006). Health Psychology Biopsychosocial Interactions. 5^th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

By Brittany Roshelle Davis