How to Have More Joy and Less Stress During the Holidays

The holidays are upon us, and it's about to get real.

Do you tend to overcommit, overspend, and overeat? Does this put you into a downward spiral of anxiety and frustration?

What if this year could be different? What if this year, you created a plan to make your holidays magical?

Last week, we talked about creating a plan to avoid overeating. This week I want us to discuss how not to overcommit

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This is my weak spot, not just around the holidays but all year long. I push myself until my body crashes on me. I understand that overextending myself is not healthy for me physically or mentally, which is why I am so lucky to have people who love me and are teaching me to better take care of myself. Even if that means they kick me out of the office to go home and take a much-needed nap and movie afternoon.

The following tips have helped me not overextend.

Understand Your Maximum Capacity- Each family and family member have their own rhythm and burnout gauge. Getting to know yours is crucial to keeping energy levels and attitudes up. On the weekend, I break up the days into sections – Morning / Afternoon / Night. Saturday has three sections, Sunday has three sections, and that's a total of six sections a weekend. For my family, we only fill three or four out of the six sections. I know that this is the happy medium of staying active, having time to relax, and letting simple memories happen.

Here is a sample schedule:

Saturday Sunday

Morning - Soccer Gym

Afternoon - Relax Decorate House

Night - Holiday Party Relax

Prioritize the Joy– We all have our holiday traditions that make the season extra magical. Sit down with the family and list out special traditions or holiday activities that you want to do this season: Make Christmas cookies, watch holiday movies, look at Christmas lights in your pj's, etc. Then, have everyone pick out there #1 must do this season then schedule the event into the calendar.

It's Ok to Say NO – I love spending time with friends and family, so saying "no" is hard. But once I had a clear understanding of my family’s maximum capacity, and making sure "Our Holiday Must Do" is scheduled on the calendar, it was easier to say "no" because we're already busy (Yes, I do consider rest time as being busy).

Remember what it's all about. If you want the Holidays to be "perfect", but you are too tired and, too stressed to enjoy it, then is it perfect? Think back to your childhood, what made the Holiday's magical for you? What can you do to reclaim that feeling?