Key Takeaways
- Holidays can be stressful due to busy schedules and expectations; focus on the present to manage stress better.
- Let go of perfectionism; cherish moments filled with warmth, laughter, and connection instead.
- Plan in advance to allocate time for important traditions and relax during the season.
- Involve others by sharing responsibilities and tasks to lighten your workload and enhance enjoyment.
- Practice gratitude, prioritize self-care, and explore acupuncture as a holistic way to relieve stress during the holidays.
Holidays aim to bring joy, connection, and rest, especially during time off from work. However, for many, this season can also be quite stressful. Tasks such as buying gifts, planning meals, arranging travel, hosting guests, attending parties, and managing budgets increase daily responsibilities and seasonal emotions. In the Valley, winter attracts the most visitors, often leading to crowded accommodations and packed schedules. Luckily, simple and effective strategies can reduce holiday stress, allowing you to enjoy the season more fully.
Put Stress in Perspective
The holidays can be stressful because they often prompt us to reflect on the past and the future. If you are sensitive to stress, you might find yourself worrying about old memories or everything left to do, which only adds to the pressure. Try to focus on the present and keep things in perspective. A burnt dish, a delayed flight, or a late gift usually will not matter a month from now. Like everything else, stress will pass.
Let Go of the Perfect Holiday
Many holiday stresses come from trying to make everything perfect: the perfect table, the best gifts, a beautifully decorated home, and a family that never argues. Social media and ads can make it seem like everyone else has it all together, but that is not true. The holidays we remember most are not the perfect ones but the ones filled with warmth, laughter, and time together. Do less, keep traditions simple, and let some things be good enough.
Plan in Advance
The saying goes that you should put the big rocks in the jar first. If you start with small rocks and sand, there’s no room left for the big ones. But by adding the big rocks first, the small ones can fill in the gaps around them. This idea applies to holidays, too. Planning ahead helps you focus on the most important moments, whether it’s a family dinner, a peaceful morning, a favorite tradition, or just relaxing. Prioritize these key events first, and the rest will fall into place.
Let Others Help
You don’t need to do everything alone. Involving others, such as your kids, partner, or family, ensures more gets accomplished and everyone understands the plan. Assign tasks like handing out the shopping list, asking guests to bring a dish, letting kids wrap gifts, or sharing hosting duties. Accepting help eases your workload and allows you to enjoy the holidays more. Most people are willing to assist if you ask.
Learn to Say No
The holiday season can quickly become crowded with parties, events, and requests, and overcommitting can lead to burnout. It’s perfectly fine to decline invitations, skip certain events, or distance yourself from traditions that no longer bring you happiness. Saying no to what drains your energy allows you to focus on what truly matters. Learning to Say No explores this skill in depth and is one of the most valuable practices to adopt this season.
Set a Budget You Can Live With
Money often causes holiday stress, with expenses for gifts, travel, food, and entertainment adding up quickly. The pressure to spend can extend into the new year. To manage this, set a realistic budget before shopping and stay within it. Consider simpler alternatives, such as a family gift exchange, homemade gifts, or offering your time and experiences instead of material items. Remember, those who care about you appreciate your company far more than costly presents.
Mitigate Family Tension
Many find holiday family time stressful because of conflicting personalities, unresolved issues, and different opinions, which can create tension, especially when everyone is tired and together for long periods. It helps to agree to disagree and set aside disagreements for later so everyone can enjoy the holidays. Avoid sensitive topics, take short breaks if an argument escalates, and remember that you can only control your reactions, not others’, to make visits more enjoyable.
When the Holidays Are Hard
Not everyone experiences joy during the holidays. If you’ve lost someone, are going through divorce or separation, are distant from family, or are alone this season, grief and loneliness may feel intensified. If this resonates with you, be gentle with yourself. It’s okay to modify traditions, find your own way to remember someone you miss, skip overwhelming events, and allow yourself to feel your feelings. Connecting with friends, neighbors, or community groups, or volunteering, can help foster a sense of connection.
Our posts on acupressure for grief and acupressure for loneliness offer support during these tough moments.
Protect Your Sleep and Go Easy on Indulgence
Late nights, travel, and hectic schedules can make it easy to skip sleep, but insufficient rest increases stress. Maintain a consistent bedtime and reserve some quiet evenings at home. Enjoy holiday foods and festivities but pace yourself. Heavy meals, sugary treats, and excess alcohol can leave you tired, irritable, and restless. Alcohol in particular may worsen sleep quality and anxiety. Stay well-hydrated, eat regular meals between celebrations, and choose your favorite treats rather than trying everything. These habits will help you stay your best throughout the season.
Make Time for You and Move Your Body
You’ve probably heard it before: exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress. Set aside time for physical activity to improve your mood and help you relax, whether that’s a quick walk, hiking, yoga, or a workout. In Arizona, the mild winter climate makes outdoor activities particularly enjoyable. Also, make time for yourself in a way that feels right: read, take a bath, enjoy tea, or get fresh air. Unwinding and processing emotions is crucial; neglecting this can lead to holiday burnout, which everyone wants to avoid.
Practice Gratitude and Presence
The season’s essence is to slow down and cherish what you have. Spending a few minutes each day acknowledging gratitude can shift your focus from problems to positive aspects. Attitude of Gratitude explores this idea further. Make an effort to be present, too: put your phone aside during meals, pay genuine attention to those around you, and let yourself savor the moments you’ve worked hard to create. The Power of Being Present is another helpful article.
Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture offers a natural, holistic solution to ease holiday stress by promoting deep relaxation. It calms the nervous system, alleviates tension, and enhances sleep and digestion, which often get disrupted during the holidays. Instead of reaching for another drink or snack for comfort, consider acupuncture. It can relax your body, mind, and spirit, and many find that a session or two before or during the holidays makes the season more manageable. For quick relief between visits, acupressure to calm down offers simple points you can use anywhere.
When Holiday Stress Is More Than Stress
For some, feeling down during the holidays can last or even get worse, especially as the days get shorter. If you feel persistently sad, hopeless, or unable to enjoy things you usually love, or if anxiety is making daily life hard, reach out to a doctor or counselor. Our focus on anxiety, stress, and depression can help support you.
If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself, please immediately call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Remember, you don’t have to face a difficult time alone.
Final Thoughts
The holidays don’t have to be perfect to be special. Keep things in perspective, prioritize what matters most, share responsibilities, safeguard your time, energy, and budget, and don’t forget to care for yourself. Giving yourself space to breathe creates room for the joy, connection, and relaxation the season offers.
Above and Beyond Acupuncture offers acupuncture, cupping, and lifestyle coaching at the North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard location in Scottsdale.
Schedule an appointment online to start your healing journey.
About the Publisher
Paul Kerzner, L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist, as well as the founder of Above and Beyond Acupuncture in Scottsdale. His own journey from chronic patient to practicing acupuncturist shapes his commitment to providing honest, clinically grounded information about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Learn more about Paul and his clinical approach on the About Us page.
