Parties, decorating, shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking—the season's demanding routine can make mincemeat of your nerves. To keep the ho-ho-ho in your holidays, follow these tips:
Sleep enough. Following the typical holiday agenda can drain you, physically and emotionally. Snooze well to avoid crankiness and enhance your enjoyment. Besides, studies have found that sleep deprivation increases appetite.
Set financial limits. Fretting over future debts raises the stress bar. Limit your gift-giving to what's within your means. For big families, divide up the gift list with other relatives. Make gifts yourself for a cost-cutting personal touch.
Plan ahead. Procrastinators come out of the woodwork during the holidays—just look at the last-minute shoppers. Do as much as possible far in advance of the holidays.
Prioritize your time. Accepting every party invitation might be preferable but not practical. Write down what you must do; focus on what's crucial and skip the lesser items, if necessary.
Prepare for awkwardness. Being shy and attending
a party can be a stressful combination. If small talk challenges you, introduce
yourself to someone, ask questions, and let him or her do most of the chatting.
If
a conversation doesn't click, don't take it personally; say goodbye and
move on to the next person.
Get some exercise. Regular exercise reduces the release of stress-related hormones. Even a little goes a long way.
Forget perfection. Face it: Your family gatherings may not have the same Hollywood magic as those holiday TV specials. If the kids are acting up or your relatives are bickering, focus on the positive and make the best of it.
Relax a little. To survive the maddening pace, recharge your sanity occasionally. Spending just 15 minutes per day by yourself can make all the difference. Go for a walk on a starlit night. Listen to soothing music in your car. Lock yourself in the bathroom and insert the earplugs.
Be realistic. Try as you might to leash your eating habits, you may gain a few pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's. While not inevitable, it also is not irresolvable. After the holidays, simply make an effort to lose those few pounds. If you don't, year after year of holiday pounds can really add up.
Enlist help. If you're drowning in obligations (real or imagined), send out an SOS. Friends or family may gladly toss you a lifeline by sharing tasks or advising you about alternative solutions.
