How to Have a Peaceful Holiday Season: 7 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress
There’s so much to love about the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot to stress about. From gift-giving and hosting to high expectations and hard family relationships, the stressors can be plentiful. However, these seven tips to avoid holiday stress can show us how to enjoy a peaceful holiday season, and the free holiday planner can make it happen!
I recently shared some tips about conquering overwhelm, and a reader commented, “Some really great tips! It’s coming up to the time of year when I always feel overwhelmed. There is always something about the Christmas rush and this year will be even more crazy!” She’s definitely not alone in feeling this way.
And it’s not just Christmas. One writer put it really well: “Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Ukrainian Christmas, Kwanza or nothing at all, it’s almost impossible to avoid the December fluster. From the first appearance of department store tinsel, it builds to a feverish crescendo of baking, pageants, gifts, entertaining and travel that leaves parents (especially moms) caught in a knot of competing demands.”
Add in any family tension, and rather than the “Most wonderful time of the year,” we’re all set for the most stressful time of the year.
However, it doesn’t have to be that way. With effective planning, helpful perspective, and some good old-fashioned stress management tools, we can avoid holiday stress and savor a season of meaning and joy.
Live Your Deep, Personal Reason for the Season with as Little Stress as Possible
Our journey to low-stress holidays is happening right now! While our Live Challenge has concluded, you can still get all the printables, planner sheets, and replay links in the Peaceful Holidays Planner!
7 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress
These seven tips will help us avoid holiday stress and enjoy a peaceful holiday season.
1. Set Clear Intentions for the Season
“With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice. And beneath each of those thoughts and choices lies your deepest intention.”
Oprah Winfrey
Dig down to your ideal image of the holidays. Do you see yourself relaxing and making memories with friends and family, or are you careening through store aisles like a banshee with a last-minute Thanksgiving dinner list? Are you serving those in need or stressing about going over budget for gifts?
If we want low-stress holidays, we need to channel that through our intention. So, our first step in avoiding holiday stress and having a calm, connected holiday season is to create a clear vision for how we really want the holiday season to go. Set our intention.
These next 6 steps can help us act to make the intention of a peaceful holiday season our reality.
2. Reduce Perfectionist Tendencies
Perfectionist tendencies can be brutal in a season with so many responsibilities, events, gift-giving, and hosting opportunities. Reduce those tendencies by focusing on the purpose of the activity. “Progress over perfection” is also a really helpful mantra.
3. Plan Early and Effectively
Planning in advance is an incredibly helpful way to avoid holiday stress. Plan your budget, gift ideas, hosting responsibilities, and family activities so you sail into the holiday season calm and collected.
4. Make Self-Care a Priority
With so much going on during the holidays, it’s easy to put off self-care. However, habits that bring us to a place of inner peace serve our whole family and others within our influence. We can connect with what matters most to us and put ourselves in a position to exude light. Prioritize self-care, and especially soul-care, for a peaceful holiday season.
5. Use Mindfulness to Relieve Holiday Stress
Even with all the intention and effective planning in the world, we will still face stressful moments throughout the holiday season. There is no preventing every situation like the relative who rubs us wrong or the full food platter that slips from helpful fingers and shatters. Use mindfulness techniques like deep breathing to relieve stress in the moment and find your inner calm.
6. Ease the Sorrow of the Season
My heart aches for the very real sorrow that accompanies this season. Sometimes the season brings to focus that which we may not have accomplished in life yet or might have lost. Some sorrow for the financial situations which leave us providing less for others than we hope. And countless mourn for those who are no longer here to experience the joys with us.
We ease the sorrow when we give ourselves space and permission to experience the emotions. Recognize that these emotions are real, but also keep hope for the future. Lean on your tribe, and reach out to support others in their sorrows.
7. Make Service an Individual and Family Focus
There is so much positive meaning behind each of the holidays this season. Turning outside of ourselves to focus on service, both individually and as a family, will help bring those positive messages to life. Plan for service opportunities and take advantage of spontaneous ones as they arise. We find connection and joy in serving others.
Related: 25+ Holiday Service Ideas for Families and Individuals
Put these Tips into Action
These seven tips to avoid holiday stress really can create an atmosphere of peace and deeper meaning.
However, sometimes it can be hard to actually DO these things.
That is why I hosted a free, six-week challenge to prepare us for the holiday season. Now that the challenge is complete, you can get all the worksheets, planner pages, and replay links in the Peaceful Holidays Planner. This planner goes much deeper than what’s for dinner, so we can actually enjoy peaceful holidays.
Channel Low-Stress Holidays Challenge: Prepare for a Peaceful Season
Through the free challenge, we took manageable steps and learned timeless tools to prepare for a truly peaceful holiday season. Throughout the challenge I will shared printables, actionable steps, live videos, and more in bite-size pieces. (I’m a busy mom of five here and know you don’t have gobs of extra time lying around either!)
We did a deep dive into an antidote for perfectionism, planning like a professional, easing the sorrow of the season, and more.
This challenge ran the six weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Now you can get the worksheets and replays and go through the material at your own pace.
This timeline means you can put in place the habits, mindsets, and planning that will have you ready to enjoy a peaceful season.
My purpose in hosting this challenge and creating the Peaceful Holiday Planner is to help individuals enjoy a holiday season that feels calm and connected to their families and God, to help people be able to live their deep, personal reason for the season, with as little stress as possible. I also hope to build a community of support around this challenge. In sharing our insights and experiences we can help one another create a season of meaning for ourselves and our families.
The challenge went really well and I’m so excited to make the planner available now. I hope you download it today!
You Can Get the Worksheets, Planner Pages, and Replay Links from the Challenge Here!Invite a friend to get the Peaceful Holidays Planner too!
The Potential for a Peaceful Holiday Season
I have deep-seated memories from throughout my life of holidays spent with family and friends. I remember the magic of opening presents on Christmas morning and the homeless people my uncle brought to Thanksgiving dinner each year. As an adult, I cherish sacred moments of personal worship and images of my kids doing a holiday talent show at a nursing home. There is something about this season that can bring out the best in each of us and provide memories of profound joy.
I hope these seven tips to avoid holiday stress help you live this season to its fullest. If your intention for this holiday season includes a low-stress, peaceful experience, I invite you to join the free challenge today. I can’t wait to channel low-stress holidays with you!
Above all, I truly hope you enjoy a peaceful holiday season with all the potential it has to bring meaning and joy to the lives of you and your loved ones.
Happy Holidays!
How do you reduce holiday stress? What are some of the season’s challenges you face? Please share in the comments. Share low-stress holiday wins and the challenge using #lowstressholidayschallenge.
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These are wonderful tips, pretty girl ! So happy you shared and took the time to gather these great tips for us. I’m pinning it for future reference too.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a blessed one for you and yours.
Fabby
Thanks Fabby! I hope you and your loved ones have a beautiful and blessed Christmas as well!
This is a wonderful list! I am going to print out the materials and use it next year. I’m too far gone this year, lol. We had all of our shopping done before December 1st, but then somehow the wheels fell off the cart. Now Christmas is four days away and I feel like we’ve completely missed the season. Luckily we all have almost a week and a half off starting Thursday, so we can make up for lost time and do all of the Christmas things. After all, no one is coming over and we’re not going anywhere due to COVID. I am really glad to have found your blog, I’m adding it to my reader list. Have a great rest of your day today!
Hi Ani, I’m glad you can use it next year! Way to have your shopping done early! That’s amazing! I’m sorry you feel like you’ve missed the season. 🙁 It’s the best season! But it’s never too late to make it a peaceful one. I hope you can figure out what’s most important to you for this next week and focus on those things. I’m glad the blog feels like a good fit for you. I look forward to seeing you around! I hope you and your loved ones have a very peaceful and merry Christmas!
These are great tips!
Thank you!
Great tips! Especially the one about keeping up with one’s self-care routine. It’s not easy, but it’s so important if we want to feel our best in the New Year :).
Thanks Anita. Self-care is definitely an important part! You’re right that it’s not always easy though. I love helping women find self-care practices that meet their needs and fit their lives. It makes such a difference! Thanks for stopping by and commenting today.
This year we don’t have that much planning to do, sadly of course! Have a great start of the week!
I’m sorry you don’t get to plan as much! I hope you still have the opportunity to have a connected season to your loved ones and personal reason for the season.
These are great tips! I’m not sure yet if the holidays will be more or less stressful with COVID! Self-care and focusing on service as a family is so important!
Jill – Doused in Pink
It will be interesting to see Jill. I think whether it’s more or less stressful will be up to how we think about things. Maybe this year if things are shut-down it can help us have a really calm season. I hope it’s peaceful for you and your loved ones!
These are such wonderful tips! Thank for sharing! I know planning ahead really helps me! I really need to make self-care more of a priority. It tends to be the first thing to go when I feel stressed or the time crunch of the holiday season!
You’re definitely not alone in that Laura! During stressful times, effective self-care is even more helpful, but it can be hard to make it happen. I think it’s helpful to remember that some beneficial self-care practices don’t take any extra time like practicing mindfulness, deep breathing, or gratitude. Have a happy holiday season!
Great list of tips! Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 18, open until November 26. Shared.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing today Dee! I hope it helps others have a peaceful holiday season!
You’ve got some great tips here! I hope you get lots of takers on your challenge.
Happy November!
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Thanks Laura! The challenge is going great so far. We’d love for people to keep joining us! We’re all getting ready for some peaceful holidays. I hope you have a great season too!!
Such great advice. I’m sure this holiday season will be even more stressful with Covid. I’ve heard of elderly people in families not even wanting to celebrate Thanksgiving this year because they’re afraid of catching Covid and then other members in the family being upset about that. It’s all so hard.
That’s so true Amy. It may be difficult to navigate different family members’ opinions, and many won’t be celebrating together. There’s a new kind of sorrow added to this season in that regard. It’s always helpful for me to remember that this is just one holiday, one event, or one whatever the thing might be. I don’t want to make that a bigger deal than the relationships with the people I care about. Thank you for commenting!
Love the quote by Oprah Winfrey and love the tip about keeping up self-care which can be as simple as going for a walk when feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes we make self-care complicated when it doesn’t have to be.
God willing my season will be stress-free. Merry Christmas to you Marielle.
Thank you Yvonne. I definitely agree that we often make self-care more complicated than it needs to be. I love the example you shared too…a little exercise, fresh air…good for us in so many ways. I hope you have a peaceful holiday season. Merry Christmas!
I’m a little shocked that Halloween is this weekend. You know how most in the blog world are already decorating for Christmas; not this girl. I feel so behind every year. These are great tips to help manage expectations and the season. Thank you for sharing. Also, thank you for the visit and the sweet comment at The Dedicated House on my Study Decor Plan. It means the world! Have a lovely week! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
You’re not behind! I don’t decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but the blog world timeline is an interesting one! 🙂 It was fun to hear your plans…I hope it all goes well! Enjoy your holiday season as it comes Kathryn! No rush. 😉
A great post….I have learned to plan and start early so I am not so rushed…..
Thanks so much for stopping by!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!
Hugs,
Debbie
That’s so smart to plan and start early! That can help us really enjoy the events as they come. Thanks for stopping by and commenting today Debbie!
Marielle, hi! It’s hard to even begin to fathom that the holidays are around the corner. More than ever we need to walk into this upcoming season with a bit of clarity and flexibility!
Thanks … and so good to meet you this week.
So true Linda! I feel we’re all in need of the peace and gratitude this season can bring, even knowing that it may look different than in past years. Good to meet you too!
I love the tip of serving others during the Holiday season. So often, we focus too much on what we want, but the holidays should be a time of giving and serving others. Love these tips and thanks for sharing your post with us at our Embracing Home and Family Link-up party.
-Cherelle
I agree Cherelle! It can easy to get busy and hard to make time, but it makes our holidays so much better when we seek to serve others. Thanks for visiting!
Holidays are suppose to not be stressful! Such an important series you have created. It’s so true that we can put pressure on ourselves. If I’ve learned anything over this past year, it is to let go of expectations. If I make the perfect holiday pie yet everyone fills up with the holiday store bought cookies instead, I could be disappointed due to my expectation that they eat my pie! haha! Instead, it’s letting go and enjoying the moments, no matter the outcomes.
Yes, Lynn! I love this example of the pie! It’s so helpful when we can learn to let go of those kinds of expectations, and as you said, enjoy the moments. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thanks for sharing this post and your thoughts. I joined the challenge too because I think we all need this mindset especially this year! Looking forward to seeing what you share. #HomeMattersParty
Hey Donna,
I’m so glad you joined the challenge! We’re going to be learning and applying so much about mindset. I think you’re right that we need it especially this year! I’m looking forward to going through it with you!
Fascinating! We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK, the Churches have a very low key Harvest Thanksgiving service in October but it doesn’t overflow into homes…. I can imagine it would be stressful in November because by then I’m planning for Christmas! Enjoy your holiday 🙂
Yes, the whole combination of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s can be pretty stressful for people. It’s fun to hear what things look like in the UK. Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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Thanks for stopping by Marilyn!
I just signed up for the challenge! I can use all the help I can get to mitigate holiday stress. When my kids were really little, I completely overdid holiday stuff and gift giving. But that was at a time when my husband was deployed a lot and missed many holidays. I was trying to fill a void. And now I would prefer to skip the holidays entirely. But I can’t so I have been struggling with lowering the kids’ expectations at the holidays. Thankfully, they enjoy all the silly holiday games and decorations and are happy with a small amount of gifts. I just can’t deal with all the commercialism. It has just gotten to be too darn much! Looking forward to this stress free challenge! Thanks so much for linking with me!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Yay! I’m so glad you joined the Challenge Shelbee! I’m really excited for everything we’ve planned and think it will be super helpful. I definitely understand what you’re saying about commercialism. It can certainly take-away from the reason for the season. I’m looking forward to doing the challenge with you and really embracing the best the season has to offer!
These are great tips and well needed. I have been trying the last few holidays to reduce the stress that comes with it. I have been intentional about what we say yes to and what we decline. This time is for family and friends and that is what I want to focus on. Pinning this post for sure.
Such a great addition to be really intentional about what we say yes and no to. Thank you for sharing Angela! Wishing you a low-stress and lovely holiday season!
These are really great tips and advice. Not just for the holidays but also for stress in general. Planning ahead really helps me maintain peace as well as forgetting about perfectionist tendencies. I am no Pinterest mom and I don’t want to be. Acknowledging this out loud for me has been super helpful!
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
That’s such a great thought Maureen. We don’t need to expect our lives to look like social media “perfection.” Thank you for sharing!
Marielle, I really love your tips and the compassionate understanding you have because you’ve experienced each one in real-time. I know how much these things would have helped me when mine were little!
I hope they are helpful!
Great ideas thank you for sharing.
Hugs,
Kippi
Thanks Kippi!