As moms we often carry a lot of stress around with us. We want to make sure our kids are taken care of, that they have everything they need, the house is taken care of, and the list goes on and on. And that list often includes the holiday season.
Most of the time, we do it to ourselves. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be “supermom”. During the holidays, if you’re anything like me, you want to make things as perfect as you can for your kids. We want to make it special, and before we know it that to-do list is a mile long.
And that doesn’t even include all the outside factors like school programs, Christmas parties and family gatherings. It can be a stressful time for moms, but it shouldn’t be. It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year! So, I want to share a few tips for how to ditch the stress of the holidays.
How to Ditch the Stress of the Holidays
1. First it starts with us
Mama, you’ve got to give yourself a break! Stop putting so much pressure on yourself. But how do you stop when you find yourself in stress mode? Here are a few ways:
· Stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath
· Make a list of the non-negotiables for the holiday season
· Remind yourself that the point of this whole season is to enjoy each other
· Remind yourself that it’s okay if you’re not perfect
2. Make a list of non-negotiables
You know that list I mentioned above? Make your list of non-negotiables for the holidays. A few things for me are Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve, opening the kids’ gifts Christmas morning, and time with both sides of the family.
Then begin to look at everything else on your to-do list and decide if it fits with your non-negotiables. I’m not saying you scrap it all, but some things may need to go. Maybe you love the annual cookie exchange, and it brings you joy and gives you a little breath of fresh air. But maybe you do it only out of obligation and it takes away from that non-negotiable of family time. Then off that list it goes!
No one person’s list is going to be the same, and that’s fine. Which brings me to my next point.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others
This is a huge one for life in general, but here we’re specifically talking about the holidays. So what if that other child’s mom always makes extravagant snowman treats for the class party and you bring a bag of pretzels from the store. Maybe she loves that type of thing, and it’s a place to release her creativity. Or, maybe she’s stressed like you and can’t get herself out of it. It really doesn’t matter either way. Stop comparing.
Stop comparing yourself to the family member who buys more expensive gifts for you than you do for them. I had to learn this one from my family, and I had to choose to believe it didn’t matter to them and let it go. Maybe your family member does care, but you’re in a different financial situation and they don’t understand. Still, drop the comparison game, and enjoy the season. If it can’t be enjoyed with gifts, then suggest doing something other than gifts.
However you compare yourself with others, now is the time to make a change in that department and ditch the stress of the holidays that comes with it.
4. Manage the gift giving
Let’s talk about gifts. We can stress ourselves out with finding the perfect gifts or going overboard with the kids’ gifts because we want it to be extra special for them. You can make it extra special in other ways besides just gifts.
According my husband, I tend to be one of those that goes overboard with the kids’ gifts (although I happen to disagree). To help in this area, both with the stress and with the budget (which then becomes more stress), I once again turn to the list.
Some people choose to get their children 4 gifts. Something they need, something they want, something to wear, something to read. I do my own version of this, deciding ahead of time how many gifts each child will get. I keep track of it along the way, and this helps me not go overboard quite so much.
If you tend to get stressed during the holidays, try to pinpoint the areas that make you most stressed, and this holiday season, make the decision to make a change. No one wants to go through the holidays stressed, so don’t. It is the most wonderful time of the year after all.
For more ideas, check out 7 Tips to Reduce Mom-Stress During the Holidays.
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