5 Ways to Deal with Holiday Anxiety

The holidays are meant to be a time of relaxing and recovering from the year. But that’s not always the case. The holiday is actually a really busy time for many of us because we spend a lot of time shopping, planning, preparing, travelling and ticking off all the boxes on our long to-do list. It’s also when you spend a lot more time with people - from friends to family - and this can put even more pressure on your time. All this pressure and rushing around can definitely be stressful, so here are tips on how to try and make your holiday as stress-free as possible.   

Hangout with good company

Being around people you feel most comfortable around, who care, make you laugh and who appreciate you, can definitely put you at ease and help you relax during the holiday. We all have different people who make us feel loved and appreciated, so spend more time with those people. It could be your parents, friends or cousins - basically anyone you can share a good laugh with and spend time with.

Get Help

Don’t try to do everything on your own Choma. Take advantage of the fact that you’re around people and get them to help you with some tasks so that it takes some pressure off you. By calling someone to help you, you actually get to do things faster while spending time with that person - this is especially helpful if you’re stressed because you need to make time for someone but also need to run errands. If you call them to run errands with you, you’re basically killing two birds with one stone by spending time with them while getting stuff done.

Find a way to make tasks fun

Tasks are generally not fun, especially when you're pressured to get them done. But maybe you shouldn't think of them as tasks but fun holiday missions. Make a game out of chores - like seeing who can get theirs done first or hiding rewards you can all find while you clean. Instead of cooking holiday lunches on your own, do it with your family - and put on some music in the background you can listen to and have fun. Having fun while you get stuff done will take the stress out of the tasks you don’t like to do over the holidays.

Don’t put too much on your plate 

Try not to over-exert yourself. During the holidays you can be really tempted to please everyone, especially if you travelled a long distance to see them. But you should know your limits Choma. As soon as you get anxious about the amount of things you need to do for others, it’s time to start cutting your list short. It’s better to tell people that you’re too busy instead of stressing yourself and then not being able to properly do what you promised you would do - disappointing people in turn. It’s best for you and others if you don’t try to do everything for everyone.

Schedule time for yourself

If you find that you’re not managing your time properly, draw up a schedule. Write down the things that you need to do every day and tick them off as you go along. However, don’t forget to add yourself to that schedule. If you don’t allow time for yourself to relax, you are on holiday afterall, the stress will just build. Even if it means scheduling all your tasks for the morning so you can rest in the afternoon. It’s important to have some down time Choma.

The holiday is meant to be a fun time of relaxation, reflection and catching up with people. Of course, we all still have responsibilities during the holidays and need to help those around us out, but that doesn't mean it has to be stressful. Remember, make a conscious effort to manage your time and also a conscious effort to value your ‘me time’.

If you or a friend need advice or help, remember that you can contact me here on Ask Choma, send me a Facebook Message, a Twitter DM, or a WhatsApp Message (071 172 3657)