How to Prepare for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

With the holiday season fast approaching many of us are starting to get excited about the most wonderful time of the year. The truth is though, not only is the holiday season the most anticipated season of the year, it’s also the most chaotic.

Not only is there travel to plan, parties to host, gifts to buy and food to make, but there are a whole lot of other challenges that may present themselves during this busy season.

To get real joy and happiness from it, you’re going to want to find ways to have a stress-free holiday season. Okay, maybe stress-free is a bit of a lofty goal, but there are certainly ways to greatly reduce the stress this time of year.

TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR A STRESS-FREE HOLIDAY SEASON

Set a Budget

Finances are often the biggest source of stress during the holiday season. To ease this, you need to go into it with a set budget. You will want to make sure that you know exactly how much you want to (can afford to) spend on each aspect of the holidays. Between travel, gifts, parties and more, a budget will help keep you from over spending and keep you on track.

Check out these tips on how to save money on Christmas. 

Schedule

As soon as you can, start penciling in the most important dates over the holidays on your calendar. Things like family Christmas parties, your kid’s school plays and recitals, office holiday parties and more, all need to be put down on a schedule as soon as the dates have been set. This will help you to better manage your time and avoid double booking.

In fact, it is also a good idea to schedule your shopping trips, days to bake and cook and even some down time. The holidays can be extremely chaotic, so it’s important to organize your time to avoid last minute rushes and to  plug in some time to relax as well.

I’ve got some tips on things to think about and plan for when setting up your holiday schedule. 

Running out of time? This last minute plan for Christmas can help even if you only have a few weeks left to go! 

Ask for Help

It is important that you remind yourself that you don’t need to be a superhero. In fact, it can be fun to participate in basic household duties, wrapping, baking and more as a family. Sit down, have a family meeting and delegate tasks to your family members based on their strengths, weaknesses and likes and dislikes.

Asking for help is a great way to reduce the stress you feel over the holidays and allow your family more time to spend together when tasks are completed more efficiently.

Minimize Décor

While a house full of gorgeous holiday décor is beautiful, sometimes less is more. This year, why not try to be a holiday décor minimalist and stick to decorations that are simple to put up, easy to take down and still elegant and beautiful.

Have Some Generic Gifts on Hand

There is a good chance that at some point over the holidays, you are going to require a last-minute gift, either for a friend who extended a late invitation to a party or an unannounced guest that is visiting your home. It is a good idea to keep generic gifts on hand such as bottles of wine, beautifully wrapped toiletries and even homemade treats and preserves to give out when you are presented with the opportunity.

The holiday season should be one that is exciting, enjoyable and relaxing, allowing you to spend time celebrating with friends and family. Keeping things organized is a fantastic way to ensure that you enjoy the beauty of the season without all the stress.