All around the world, the festive season is often considered one of the most wonderful times of the year. It’s a time when family gathers, memories are created and loved ones enjoy activities and time together.
However, the festive season can also be a period of stress and overwhelming expectations for many. There is often pressure to find the perfect gift for someone, to host events, attend countless holiday gatherings, and to bake endless delicious treats. While all of these things are fun holiday activities, sometimes doing too much can be overwhelming and can make the festive season feel more chaotic than peaceful.
With so much going on, staying cool, calm, and collected all season long may seem like a challenge, but, it’s absolutely achievable. With a few simple tips and strategies, you can enjoy a blissfully relaxed and laid-back holiday season.
1. Plan Ahead and Prioritize
One of the easiest ways to enjoy a relaxed festive season is to plan ahead. Start organizing early and avoid leaving things to the last minute as this can cause unnecessary stress in your life. Consider making a list of everything that you want or need to do for the festive season. Think of things like buying gifts, prepping meals, events you want to attend, or even decorating the house. When it comes to festive events, Charleston offers a plethora of choices. From the Holiday Festival of Lights to the lights at Aquarium Aglow, there are plenty of choices. Choose a few that you are most interested in so you don’t get overwhelmed. Aim to complete your list 6 months before the festive period starts. This will give you ample time to start shopping and prepping accordingly.
Once you have prepared your list, think about prioritizing what is most important to you. If there is anything that is time-sensitive, start on those tasks first. By prioritizing your festive to-do list, you can focus on what really matters and avoid getting caught up with unnecessary tasks.
2. Take Time for Yourself
The holiday season often feels like a whirlwind of activities and events. During this time, it’s easy to forget to take time for ourselves. To have a cool, calm, and collected festive season, it’s important to step away from the festivities once in a while and take some much-needed time for yourself. This looks different for everyone but can include simple things like going for a walk, watching a movie or show that you enjoy, playing games online, or reading a book.
Many people enjoy setting aside 30 minutes per day to get outside and go for a walk. This simple activity can boost your energy and help you get some much-needed alone time. During the holidays an evening walk to check out the holiday lights can be especially fun and relaxing. Similarly, if you enjoy walking and looking at lights, check out the Charleston Strolls Holiday Walking Tours that are often happening during the festive season.
Similarly, online gaming has become a popular way to take time for yourself. Many people enjoy playing video or wagering at online casinos from home. Video games can be a fun solo activity or they can be played with other gamers. Online casinos also offer a fun way for people to relax and unwind. Bettors can choose between visiting a traditional online casino or a crypto casino that accepts digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Increasingly, crypto betting sites are becoming popular because the best crypto casinos offer players enhanced privacy and anonymity online along with larger game libraries and sometimes even bigger bonuses according to CryptoNews author and casino expert Sergio Zammit.
Another popular way to take time for yourself during the holidays is by unwinding with a holiday movie or TV show. Watching a festive movie is a great way to step away from the festivities for a few hours while still enjoying some holiday cheer. For the best experience, make some popcorn or grab a few holiday treats before you settle on the couch.
Taking time for yourself is one of the best ways to reset your mood during the festive period. When you feel yourself getting stressed or feeling overwhelmed take 30 minutes to yourself.
3. Set Realistic Expectations
To stay cool, calm, and collected all season long we need to have realistic expectations. Often, there is pressure to create the “perfect” holiday season and it can be overwhelming and stressful. Whether it’s finding the perfect gift for a family member or hosting the perfect holiday dinner party, high expectations can lead to a stressful festive season.
To avoid feeling stressed by the constant quest for perfection all season long try to set some realistic expectations for yourself. Remember, things don’t always have to go according to plan. Some cookies might get burnt while they are baking or a gift or two may not arrive on time. This is okay! Shift your focus to the joy of the season and the chance to connect with loved ones.
Instead of being so focused on everything being perfect, instead, focus on having a wonderful time and making memories with those you love most.
4. Practice Deep Breathing and Meditation
Beyond taking time for yourself to enjoy the activities, like reading, gaming, or walking, that you love most, it’s also important to practice mindfulness and meditation during the festive season.
Deep breathing exercises and meditation can work wonders if and when you feel yourself becoming stressed or overwhelmed by your holiday shopping list or packed calendar. Instead of stressing out, take a moment to breathe deeply. This is a simple but effective way to calm yourself down and works by calming your nervous system to reduce stress. The best part? You can practice deep breathing anywhere. If you’re at home, it’s easy to take a few deep breaths. When you’re driving through holiday traffic, deep breathing is ideal.
Beyond deep breathing, you can also try meditation to keep calm during the festive season. For newbies, there are many apps and videos online to help guide you through meditating for the first time. Meditation is known to help you be present, quiet your thoughts, and increase feelings of peace.
5. Maintain Healthy Habits
The festive period is often filled with holiday events and amazing meals. This means that our normal schedules are often forgotten about and our normal healthy eating habits are also left behind. It’s easy to attend too many events, eat too much wonderful festive food, and get too little rest during the festive season.
While it might be fun while it’s happening, it can make you feel more stressed and tired in the long run. Instead of ditching your normal sleep routine and your normal healthy eating habits, try to maintain a healthy balance during the holiday period.
If you are used to getting a full 8 hours of sleep each time, stick to that. If you get less sleep one night because you’re attending an event, try to make up for it the following night. Similarly, if you usually eat lots of fruits and veggies, try to keep up with your whole foods consumption during the holidays, even if you also add in a few tasty treats here and there. Additionally, if you normally exercise at home or at the gym, take time to go for a walk or hit the gym during the holidays.
By maintaining your healthy habits during the festive season, you can be more balanced and relaxed all season long.
Conclusion
The festive season is truly one of the most wonderful times of the year. It’s often filled with family activities, gatherings with friends, special foods and treats, and gift-giving. While it can bring joy, it can also be stressful. To stay cool, calm, and collected all festive season long remember to plan in advance, take time for yourself, set realistic expectations, and maintain healthy habits. If you feel yourself getting stressed, don’t shy away from practicing meditation or deep breathing exercises. With these tools and strategies, you can enjoy your holiday season without the stress.
