End of the year deadlines, holiday work parties, gatherings with friends, holidays with the families, social functions, gift buying, and alllllll the food…the last few months are often filled with so many activities it’s almost impossible to not be overwhelmed. I feel like there are functions and obligations every day. Financially we’re strapped. Diet? That’s out the window. Peace of mind? I’ll try that again next year. The last few months seem to fly by so fast that we tell ourselves we can get through this and then we’ll focus on us. THAT will be our New Year’s Resolution. Luckily, there is a better way. There are things we can do to prevent overwhelm and burnout during the stressful times.

Plan. Plan. Plan. Wil you be able to plan every event with enough time to have zero stress? Not a chance. Are there typical things you do every year at this time that you know will be coming up? I guarantee it. Grab your planner and look ahead for the next 90 days. What holidays, functions, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. are coming up? Make sure they are noted and easy to pull out for organizing. This also includes planning when you might need to bring meals, if you’re on a special diet and needing to stay on track

Plan for the unexpected. I know, I know, that doesn’t make sense. If I knew about it to plan, it wouldn’t be expected. Did you overhear your boss talking about doing a white Christmas party but haven’t seen anything official? Expect to need a gift. Is there a possibility you’ll be hosting dinner at some point but nobody has assigned it to you just yet? Be prepared for a full meal at your house. Remember how your cousin brought his new girlfriend to Christmas and nobody was ready because they started dating three days prior? Let’s go ahead and expect him to do it again so we’ll have extra food and a present ready.

Get organized. This is slightly different from planning. Getting organized means making a list of the presents you need to buy for the various holidays and events. It means thinking ahead at the meals you’ll need to cook, what ingredients are needed, when can you start cooking. Those meals you need to bring with you so you stay on plan when you need to, this is where you list that out and prep and pack those meals

Schedule time for yourself. When the schedule is already full it seems impossible to find time for yourself. It’s probably the most important part of surviving the holidays, however. You know the saying, “you can’t for from an empty cup.” Find, rather SCHEDULE time every day for yourself to reset. 10 minutes of mediation, 20 minutes to write in your journal, a moment of gratitude, even as simple as drinking a cup of coffee (or tea if it’s late) in peace can set the tone. These can be done first thing in the morning or right before bed. The when is less important than the action.  

Be present in the moment. It’s so easy to get caught up in everything and look back later and feel like you really missed out. It’s easy to be stressed over the details and wanting to make sure things are perfect. The important thing to remember is memories aren’t made from perfect. They are made from the experience. Let go of the small stuff and really enjoy the and be present in the moment as it happens.

There will always be stressful times but there are simple ways to not let that stress take over. Thinking ahead of what’s to come and learning to not over think the things that aren’t perfect can go a long way in our mental well-being.

Hosting a party soon and need to do some cooking? This digital holiday planner allows you to plan the meal, capture recipes, organize the grocery list, and create a cooking schedule so everything is on time and tasty! Let this holiday meal planner take away the stresses of meal planning so you can finally enjoy the day and the process with friends and family.