How to get more pleasure and less stress from any holiday (and pre-holiday) days? Ten tips from psychologist Janet Frank.
1. First of all, take the time to remember and analyze what spoiled your (pre-)holiday mood in previous years. Try to think of ways to change your holiday preparations to minimize stress.
Pass the tests
- What holiday are you dreaming about?
2. Start planning and preparing gifts in advance (especially if you need a lot of them, as in the case of February 23, March 8 or New Year). Choosing gifts in advance, gradually, will help you avoid random shopping and shopping crowds.
3. Set realistic goals. You don’t have to attend every party you’re invited to, or be there from start to finish. You don’t have to try all the appetizers without exception, so as not to offend the hosts.
4. Do not abuse alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant, so don’t count on it to cheer you up if you’re sad. In addition, these are empty calories, which will also make themselves felt and become an additional source of stress. Drink plenty of water (like lemon) to stay hydrated.
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- I hate…holidays
5. You have every right not to share the general festive mood. Very often, for example, before a birthday, we don’t have time for fun, and the traditional summing up for the New Year can become very painful if things don’t go as well as we would like. Perhaps there are other reasons why you do not feel the desire to have fun or congratulate everyone around (death of a loved one, separation, dismissal …). Don’t force yourself to fake fun and joy: respect your true feelings. And feel free to talk about them to those who ask what is wrong with you, why are you so sad and if you can somehow help.
6. Set a financial limit for yourself and try not to go beyond it. Don’t be afraid to say no to kids when they demand an overpriced gift or want to invite a bunch of guests home.
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- “Overload” after the holidays
7. By the way, teach children to a certain order: how to behave during the exchange of gifts, that you should not forget to say “thank you” and “please”, what behavior you expect from them in the store, within what amount they can choose gifts for friends and classmates and so on.
8. Take care of yourself. Do something that gives you pleasure: take a bath, light scented candles, call your friends, watch a good movie, take time for your hobbies, get enough sleep. If you are expecting guests, invite a housekeeper to clean up. You will spend money, but save time and effort, and it’s worth it. If you play sports, do not interrupt your activities. If not, it’s time to start. Even short walks can help relieve both physical and emotional fatigue.
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- How to stay happy after the holidays
9. Be altruistic. Instead of making expensive gifts to all your surroundings, limit yourself to pleasant trifles, and donate the “freed” part to those in need. Thinking about those whose lives have turned out less well is useful not only because it is an opportunity to help other people. Firstly, it makes it clear that you are lucky enough in life (even if sometimes it seems otherwise), and secondly, it makes you think about how commercialized our holidays sometimes become.
10 Don’t miss out on the true spirit of the holiday. After all, the main thing is the pleasure of spending time with loved ones and gratitude towards other people.
See more at Clinical Psychology Associates.