In an ideal world, we would all be celebrating the holiday season—whether that’s Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or even Winter Solstice—with joyful ease and happy simplicity.  But despite modern conveniences and luxuries, holiday stress have become a default scenario in our society.  It’s actually more stressful for women than for men.

Beating holiday stress should be your priority too.

There are gifts to buy for everyone, rush hour traffic to beat, overexcited children to pacify, and busy crowds to mingle with.  Add to that the mostly unhealthy sugar-laden and fatty food you’ll be encountering in parties you’ll attend left and right.  If we’re not careful, it’s easy to lose touch of the true spirit of the season, and allow it to become commercialized, materialistic, and gift-centric instead.

Our attitude about this most hectic season of the year can spell the difference between a truly meaningful celebration and a spirit-draining anxiety-filled event.  Here’s seven ways to effectively beat the holiday stress.

Opt for simplicity.  The simpler the party, the more time and resources you’ll have in hand, and consequently the less stress you’ll feel.  It doesn’t have to be a perfect, extravagant dinner.  The gifts for your loved ones don’t have to be fancy and pricey.  You can even enjoy a staycation holidays with the family and friends.  You don’t have to celebrate the way everyone else does.  As long as you’re in the company of good friends and loved ones, all is good.

Eat wisely and healthy.  Our carefully-planned diets often collapse with the coming of the holiday season.  It’s so easy to give in to sugary, grease-laden, processed food and alcoholic beverages that’s been the traditional fare during Christmas parties and dinners.  Our rationale is that this is just a once a year event.  Always eat and drink in moderation.  Also, you can inspire other people to serve healthy Christmas dinners by preparing one yourself.  Food that’s simple yet healthy and nourishing (e.g. low-fat, vegetarian dishes) will be better appreciated by your guests.

Don’t forget to exercise.  We already know exercise boosts immunity, strengthens our body, and helps our mind to focus.  Problem is the hectic holiday season becomes a good excuse for many to skip their regular exercise routine or forget it altogether—Don’t.  A few minutes of stretching and cardio will keep you in shape so you can face the coming days with a clear mind and a fit body.

Get enough Sleep.  Late-night parties, extended hours in shopping malls, various festive events happening all at once, and many more are enough to deprive us of precious sleep.  How we wish we could stay awake so as not to miss anything.  But we shouldn’t; we ought to sleep because our body needs to recharge to operate efficiently the next day, so we’re at our smiling, well-rested best.  Don’t compromise your sleeping hours just to celebrate for the holidays.

Do not overspend.  It’s easy to get carried away with the holiday shopping spree.  After all, this happens just once in a year.  But overspending can be very stressful, more so if you get in debt just to fulfill all your shopping needs.  Plan a reasonable budget to spend for the holidays—gifts, décor, food, travel expenses, etc. 

Indulge in healthy experiences.   Stop by at the mall for a relaxing massage.  Put your headset on and enjoy your favorite music.  Read a few chapters of that book you’ve been meaning to finish.  Cuddle and watch a movie with your loved one.  Visit your local museum, or attend a one-day class flower arrangement.  Watch the sunset.  Offer your help and services to your local charity.  Experiences, whether there done all by yourself or shared with a loved one, help you take a time off from the holiday stress.  And they’re infinitely more memorable and fulfilling than materialistic, high-carbon footprint gifts.

Modern society has encouraged hectic Christmas rush as default mode of celebration. (Image from deviantart.net)

It’s okay to say No.  You don’t have to say Yes to each and everything.  You can always politely decline if you don’t have the time, energy, or resources to accommodate the requests of your friends and family.  People won’t think ill of you—they’ll understand.

So how about it?  Let’s have a super simple, stress-free holidays which will eventually inspire our children and the generations to come.