Five Tips for Managing Stress Over the Holidays by tara motzenbecker, MS, NCSP

​The most wonderful time of the year??  It’s maybe a little of that but also a lot of stress.  Here are a few tips that can help you get through the holidays with more of the joy and less of the stress:

1. Be aware of what stresses you out.  Awareness of our triggers is key to managing our emotions and behaviors.
2. Make a self-care plan to reduce your stress.  Once you identify what stresses you out, do something you haven’t tried in past years to reduce it.  Maybe it is asking family members to help out or maybe it’s giving yourself a day off.
3. Create a goal for yourself and your family.  Really think about what is most important to you this holiday season.  Is it making sure the kids get the best gifts?  Is it making sure the family gets along? Is it about giving?  Figure out what you can do to focus on one or two goals. 
4. Ignore all of those picture perfect families you are seeing on the holiday cards and on social media.  That’s all posed and planned and chances are they all had to deal with a two hour tantrum in order to snap that one perfect picture.  Don’t compare yourself to anyone else and don’t feel like you need to have elaborate elf-on-the-shelf displays every morning to post on Facebook.  Stay connected in real-life and focus on what is best for you and your family. 
5. TAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF.  Be kind to yourself.  That may mean throwing out a few crazy high expectations and laughing at your shortcomings.  Enjoy the nice moments and let the stressful and annoying ones go. 

Hopefully these tips can keep you centered throughout this stressful time of year so you can truly experience the joy with your family and loved ones.

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