5 Tips to Avoid Burnout During the Holidays

The stress that comes with trying to keep up with traditions and organizing an elaborate holiday dinner takes away from its true meaning, which is celebrating life with the people you love the most.

Coming from a big family, spending time together during the holidays is something that I’ve always looked forward to.

Between catching up with cousins on the latest tea, rallying the troops to play games, or everyone randomly breaking out in song, there’s never a dull moment. Not to mention, the epic display of food and desserts, followed by a fifteen-minute prayer and praise break. My family is unique, to say the least, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Instead of focusing on togetherness and thankfulness, we get caught up in who’s hosting and why, who is bringing what, and mentally preparing ourselves for what could go wrong. As you’re reading this, you might be preparing to host your first dinner at your new spot and are overwhelmed with how you’ll accommodate the growing guest list and wondering if you can pull off all the recipes that you promised.

Yes, you can do it all, and make it look easy, but it should not be at the expense of your physical, mental, or financial health. Take time to focus on what matters, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Here’s how you can be more intentional this holiday season:

1. Focus Yourself

In what can be a very chaotic time, remind yourself of your favorite elements of the holiday season.

Whether it be family time, giving gifts, just relaxing… decide what is most important to you and commit yourself to it. Our vision can get lost in the holidays… as we seek the best gifts to give or dishes to make it is easy to forget what really matters.

The task of focusing yourself can be easier said than done. It might arise when you find yourself less than pleased with a gift or annoyed with tasks you have to take up. Committing yourself to the things you cherish about this time of year might be a continual task. But shifting your understanding from tedious tasks and responsibilities to joyful opportunities and experiences will make all the difference.

 2.     K.I.S.S (Keep it simple, stupid)

Stay in your lane. Manage your expectations. Don’t have an extensive menu. Allow people to bring stuff. Set up committees to take some of the responsibilities from you.

Don’t try to go above and beyond. Trying to please other people or do something that is so much out of your comfort zone that you are not able to properly execute your vision can cause unnecessary stress.

For example: opposed to renting tablecloths and china, maybe it would be best to get some nice disposable plates and cutlery and call it a day.

Also: don’t be too proud to ask or receive help. Doing everything on your own only causes aggravation and pressure— and who needs that during the holidays?

3.       Plan ahead of time

Don’t wait until the last minute to get things in order i.e. theme, menu, costs, etc.. Give yourself enough time to plan for any incidentals and adjust accordingly so you’re not rushing.

Have a backup plan just in case. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to other people to take some of the steam from yourself.

For example: Have everyone bring a dish as opposed to shouldering the cooking on your own. Sometimes a potluck is the best way to go, everyone feels involved and nobody is responsible for all of the cooking.

4.       Stick to a budget

Don’t break the bank. Be realistic about what the potential costs could be, and figure out if you can financially afford to partake in said holiday festivities. Don’t overspend. Stay within your means. Don’t go broke to please people.

5. Say no and let things go

… okay, this one might be the toughest of them all.

Saying no might mean letting the office know that you can’t attend this year’s holiday party.

It might mean cutting items off your gift list that you might not have the time, energy, or finances to purchase.

It might mean saying no to engaging in those conversations that always seem to come up at the dinner table.

The word no can be a difficult one to utter. But, trust and believe it can free you of a lot of the unnecessary stress that arise at this time of year.

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If you successfully follow these three steps, I guarantee you won’t feel as run down and can actually enjoy the process a lot more instead of anxiously waiting for it all to be over and done with.

 Cherish the time that you have with your loved ones, and live in the moment. Be present and create long-lasting memories, but most importantly, have fun while doing it.