For many people, the holiday season is the best time of year. For others, it is a constant source of stress and overload. The line between those two attitudes can be surprisingly thin, and sometimes it is all a matter of attitude.
If you want to avoid burnout and stress this holiday season, you need to think ahead. Here are some of the most effective ways to avoid holiday stress and stay healthy during this special time of year.
Learn to Say No
It is easy to feel pulled in a thousand different directions during the holiday season. While you would like to say yes to all those commitments, sometimes you just have to say no.
Learning how to say no is one of the best ways to avoid stress and burnout during the holiday season. Think about the things that make you happy and say yes to those. Once your calendar is filled with great things, you will have the freedom to say no to everything else.
Give to Others
Giving back to others will make them feel good, but it will also improve your life and boost your well being. Whether you wrap presents for a local charity, serve Christmas dinner at a homeless shelter or adopt a needy family, you will feel great.
There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer during the holiday season, so it should not be hard to find a way to help out. Once you find the perfect volunteer opportunity, you will feel wonderful about yourself and the holiday season.
Look for Creative Ways to Prepare Healthy Veggies
The holiday season is a time of excess, from ham and pumpkin pie to endless batches of cookies. If you want to stay healthy this time of year, you need to make an extra effort to eat right.
Now is the perfect time to try new recipes, especially ones that make veggies the star of the show. Look for creative ways to prepare your favorite vegetables, then pick up a few new veggies and try those as well.
Make Time for Yourself
You will find plenty of ways to do for others during the holiday season, but do not forget about yourself. No matter how busy your holiday schedule, find ways to make time for yourself.
Set aside a few minutes a day to pamper yourself, and look for new and creative ways to make every minute count. Take a bubble bath after a hard day. Light a candle and enjoy a romantic dinner at home. Buy a special present for yourself when you do your Christmas shopping. There are dozens of ways to make yourself feel special, so get creative and make time for yourself.
The holiday season can be stressful and bad for your waistline, but it does not have to be. If you plan ahead and take time for yourself, you can enjoy the wonders of the holiday season and emerge with your mental health, and your girlish figure, intact.
