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Christmas, for many, is a season to be merry. Unfortunately, the holiday season is also a season for anxiety and stress. The whirlwind of gift-giving, holiday parties, sales blitzes and activities can bump up a person’s stress levels.

High levels of stress can be detrimental to a person’s physical and mental health. Significant emotional stress, for instance, could mean less hair on your head literally!

When you lose a significant amount of hair, you may need to undergo hair loss treatment for women or men to remedy the situation. Apart from causing hair loss, high-stress levels could contribute to the development of cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and hypertension.

6 Tips to Help You Get Your Holiday Stress Under Control

Stress is a drag, but it doesn’t have to ruin the festive spirit that comes with the holiday season.

Here are a few strategies to help you keep your stress in check:

1 Set Boundaries

The holidays can get overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling multiple party invitations, baking requests and last-minute gift shopping for friends and family. The Christmas season also serves as an excellent time to establish boundaries and say “no” to things and activities that place an unnecessary burden on you.

If a co-worker asks you to bring in delicious Christmas treats and you don’t have time to bake them, ask if you could buy cookies from a bakery instead. Alternatively, you could decline the request politely, especially if you have a lot on your plate.

As for Christmas parties and events go, set boundaries by attending only parties or programs that are important for you. Everything else will get the standard and polite “I-can’t-come-to-the-party” response.

2 Come up with a Holiday Schedule

Putting your schedule on paper will show you how realistic your plans are for the holidays. Look for a time management planner or platform and fill in the hours with your scheduled Christmas activities.

Be realistic and include downtime and driving time in your timetable. Begin with the high-priority activities, so you’ll be able to knock off the less important events.

3 Carve out Time for Yourself

During the busyness of the holidays, don’t forget to set some “me time” by doing stuff you love the most. Carving out time for yourself will make you feel better during this festive season.

Your “me time” can take on many forms. You could, for instance, read a book, get a haircut, watch Disney Christmas movies with your kids or relax on the couch while sipping a cup of tea.

4 Make Gift-Giving Less Burdensome on Your End

Trying to purchase presents for everyone on your list can eat up a lot of your time and make you feel anxious. Rather than try to get things over with and silently stress about your situation, have an honest conversation with your family regarding the gift-giving process. You could, for example, come together to make this process less burdensome for everyone.

A few less stressful gift-giving ideas you could consider are the following:

  • Donate to Charity – Not everyone can financially afford to buy presents, especially during the time of recession. Given that the Christmas season is a time for giving, highlight this fact by donating to a charity of your choice. Helping others doesn’t just make the world a better place. It could also boost happiness and reduce stress.
  • Establish a Price Limit and Stick to It – The cost of the gift shouldn’t stress you out mentally and financially. If you’re buying presents for kids, set a limit. An example is a toy that shouldn’t cost more than £20 or £50.
  • Order gifts online and have them *delivered at a convenient time for you.
  • Ditch the Gift Wrap – Finding the time to wrap your presents can be stressful, as well. Rather than purchase gift wrap, see if the store provides present wrapping services.

5 Eat Properly During the Holidays

During the festive season, you’ll find a lot of decadent desserts and delicious food on the dinner table. This, plus the addition of holiday stress, could result in emotional eating or overeating.

This holiday, make the decision to practice mindful eating, substitute fattening treats for healthy foods and keeping an eye on your meal intake.

6 Set Aside Differences

Refrain from bringing up grievances and similar concerns on the Christmas table. Accept the people in your life as they are, even if they are unable to live up to your standards.

Also, be more understanding and patient when others become distressed or upset, as they too may be feeling the negative effects of holiday anxiety or stress.

Don’t let the festive season become something you dread every year. Take note of these six suggestions to cope with holiday stress. You can find joy, peace and happiness with positive thinking and a little planning on your part.

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6 Tips to Help You Get Your Holiday Stress Under Control

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