Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the festive holiday season is close behind. As you and your family gear up for the season of cozy comforts, social events, and gift-giving, we encourage you to slow down and reflect on what matters most. As lovely as the Christmas season is, it can also be frantic and chaotic. Protect yourself from burnout and ease into this year’s festivities – you’ll thank yourself in the coming weeks.
Keeping The Holiday Season Stress-Free & Under Control
The holiday season feels far away until it’s too late. Traffic jams, late-night shopping trips, and time spent scratching your head, wondering if you forgot anyone on your list may feel like unavoidable elements of the holiday season. Here’s a thought experiment: imagine feeling prepared, calm, and blissfully present with your loved ones this Christmas. Here are a few ways for parents and families to get organized now – before it’s too late.
- Make a calendar. An advent calendar is a family favorite – but it won’t help you remember key dates. As early as you can, write down all of the upcoming events you can think of on a paper or digital calendar. Include things like family parties, work gatherings, school-related events, performances and recitals, days when your family members are off school or work, travel dates, and any other special traditions you want to be able to look forward to.
While you look ahead to everything you have in store, give yourself permission to decline invitations to events that feel less important or that you might attend out of a sense of obligation. If you don’t feel joy and anticipation leading up to a holiday festivity, chances are, attending will take a toll on your mental health.
- Make a gift list. Include everyone you plan on giving gifts to this year – family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, etc. Be as specific as you can about what you’d like to give everyone on your list.
When it feels right, consider heartfelt notes, cards, and acts of kindness over material gifts. Generosity can take multiple forms.
- Prepare your house for safe holiday fun. A bit of cleaning and de-cluttering can go a long way during the holidays – and can be essential to keeping children safe. Make plenty of space for Christmas decorations. Avoid low-hanging Christmas ornaments, as they are choking hazards. Keep lights strung high and plug them in where children cannot access them. Never let young children play with or plug in Christmas lights – especially outdoors. Outdoor lights are especially likely to cause shocks or electrocution if they are not handled properly. Keep any live flames and fragile glass objects well out of children’s reach.
- Plan your meals. If you’re hosting family and friends at any point during the holidays, think about what you plan on cooking and make yourself a recipe list ahead of time. This way, you’ll know what to shop for, and how long to prepare on the day of your event, and when people ask you what they can bring, you’ll know exactly what to say.
- Make room to relax. The holidays can be stressful! While the big festivities are still a few weeks out, carve out some time to enjoy yourself, either on your own or with your family. If there is a special tradition you enjoy doing with your spouse or children, try to fit in a bit of relaxing beforehand so that you can be fully present.
Preparing for Holiday Sadness
For some people, no amount of planning can alleviate the depression associated with the holidays. Our culture tends to amplify the Christmas season as a time of revelry, extravagance, and connectedness. For those who are coping with a mental health disorder or substance use disorder, images of happy families and friends lavishing one another with food, alcohol, and gifts can trigger breakdowns. If someone you know is susceptible to depression, anxiety, or substance use, make yourself available to them to de-stigmatize their experience of the holidays and make space for new traditions. If you or someone you know needs professional support to cope with this challenging time, Maryvale can help. Learn about our mental health services and the many ways we support people to live positive, healthy lives.
