4 Key Tips to Prevent Holiday Stress

The holiday season is just starting and, for many of us, holiday stress is starting too. I try to plan ahead to minimize holiday stress. It’s not that I have less to do. In fact, November and December are our busiest months at work. But I find if I approach the holiday season as a time for more heart and kindness, I enjoy it so much more. It’s a time of year when many people are kinder, more friendly and giving. There is a twinkle and spirit of celebration in the air despite whatever else is going on.

Yet as I look at the news reports that poverty levels in our country are increasing, that Congress can’t get a jobs bill passed or agree on much of anything, that the stock market is swinging wildly up and down and people are insecure about their financial future, I wonder how people are feeling this holiday season.

Tight budgets can mean stressing over having to spend less on gifts, as well as what to get and for whom. Planning family gatherings or parties can feel overwhelming. It can be easy to fake the holiday spirit and who wants to do that?

(Coming up — Key Tips 1 & 2)

1 of 3

Read more: Christmas, Holidays, Life, Peace, Self-Help, Spirit, Stress

Susan A.

1:17AM PST on Dec 19, 2011

Good tips on Easing up during the holidays...thanks...

send a green star

Lara K.

4:15AM PST on Dec 15, 2011

My own holiday tips, from an extreme introvert. Start buying gifts months before christmas. Here and there, good deals, nice things, whatever. Quality made items. Store them for 11 months if you want to. Don't try to do all your christmas shopping in November or December. Order in food (chinese, KFC, whatever)- don't cook. Buy bakery goods instead of baking. Watch a lot of funny holiday movies if you must socialize, and spend time outside in the snow. If you prepare for christmas a bit at a time over the year, you don't even notice it.

stana H.

1:43AM PST on Dec 13, 2011

ps on the lighter side....don't worry no sooner do we barely recover from one holiday then another is soon to follow! lol....a fav movie to watch is Home For The Holidays....nothing like a dose of honesty and reality to give a kick it in gear change...go through relationship loss etc and it could be easy to kind of ignore holidays altogether until my son let me know how it was making him feel...wow if i can;t do it for me i can @ least do it for them.....outside giving can encourage an inside changing @ the same time....i must admit re holidays for sometime now looked like the following...when my daughter was 2.5 she squated down in a corner, closed her eyes ,burried her face in the corner, and said "you can't see me" i just was freshly enlighten otherwise cheers!

Nancy N.

12:05AM PST on Dec 13, 2011

Thanks for the tips, Holidays can be hard when you can't get home to be with family.

Past Member .

1:29PM PST on Dec 11, 2011

May I suggest: YOU'RE IN CONTROL, JUST BREATHE.

(l) Count your blessings and give thanks accordingly,

(2) Stay focused on priorities, don't get caught up in the hype, proceed with meaningful caution

(3) Renew neglected but worthy friendships, and

(4) Interact in some fashion with local community.

All for the long-term greater good.