Like the rest of 2021, the holiday season this year can be challenging. Particularly when we set high expectations for our holidays. The magic of the holiday is true for some, but for the majority it comes with stress, challenges, hopelessness, and feelings of isolation. In this post, we gathered 7 tips for you to preserve your inner peace and experience a better holiday season:
Give the first gift to yourself
Traditionally, holidays are the season of giving. This year, give the first gift of the holiday to yourself by practicing self-compassion. Accept yourself and allow yourself and your holiday to not be perfect and complete. Forgive yourself for all the shortcomings and mistakes in 2021.
2021 was not an easy one with all the mental health, fatigue, financial, and relationship challenges due to COVID. So it is natural to experience burnout, miss some goals, and feel fragile. This action of forgiveness helps you to start your new year fresh with more hope and joy. Acknowledge all of your achievements in 2021 and make sure to journal them.
Set realistic expectations for the holidays
The image of a perfect holiday often permeates our culture which can be overwhelming. If you are comparing your holiday with the image of a perfect holiday or those of your friends in social media, it is more likely that you feel overwhelmed and down. This pressure of perfection may even be more intense, considering last year’s COVID restrictions. So people are expecting a “Wow” this year and plan to resume all the gatherings and social events.
To overcome holiday perfectionism, remember that you are not obliged to celebrate your holiday like the mainstream culture. Recognize if you feel pressured by your traditions and allow yourself to celebrate your holidays authentically. Think about what you enjoyed doing during holidays. Communicate your preferences with your family and friends in advance so they know how you would like to spend your time during the holidays.
Stay Connected
Feel isolated and left out. It is common to not be able to gather with family or friends this holiday due to the ongoing pandemic crisis. As your connection to other people in the community is the key factor in your mental health, try the following options to protect your mental health:
- Use different online platforms to gather with your friends and family.
- Do something special for yourself like following your hobbies, enjoying a meal in a restaurant, or watching your favorite show.
- Volunteer in your community for both connecting with others and supporting those in need.
- Try writing letters and sending email messages to your old friends
Plan sometime for self-care during the holidays
Self-care can be as short as 5 minutes of morning mindfulness practice or a brief break during work. However, the result of persistence in self-care is amazing. So list a couple of activities for your self-care and schedule a time for each of them throughout your week. Some ideas for self-care are exercising, yoga, meditation, taking a nap, walking in the trails, enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, reading, journaling, coloring, etc. Just remember to plan a head so you won’t get lost when it is your self-care time.
Importance of healthy boundaries
Set up healthy boundaries with people around you. Sometimes people feel obliged to get together with everyone, even those who create toxic relationships. In order to set boundaries, it is important to know your goals, values, and priorities. Try saying no to the activities and people that do not align with your priorities. Remember that when you say no to others, give a brief explanation for your reason and practice being firm.
Don't forget proper sleep and exercise
Proper sleep and exercise is very likely to get missed during the holidays. So, use down time during the day to be active. There are various creative ways, such as taking the stairs, walking short distances instead of using a car, and inviting your friends for a walk and chat. Also do your best to not change your sleep schedule. Being consistent in your bed time routine even if you sleep over is helpful to have a good night sleep. Eating light supper, avoiding caffeine near bedtime, and doing meditation before bedtime can also help to have a better sleep. For a simple mindfulness guide, please check this blog post.
Stay on top of your budget
Stress due to financial difficulties are high during holidays. To feel relief from stress, stay on top of your budget. Avoid overspending and over-drinking. Do not oppress yourself to make others happy with gifts. By being creative and authentic in your gifts, you can bring joy to yourself and others. If it helps, you can print this holiday budgeting worksheet and monitor your spending behaviors better. If you are about to spend more than your limit, postpone it for at least 24 hours to think about your decision better and check if it is really essential.
With these proactive tips, you can have a memorable and easy holiday season.