How to Beat Anxiety During the Holidays

The jolliest time of the year is right around the corner. Are you ready? Or does your anxiety make celebrating the holidays a challenging time? You can learn how to beat anxiety with simple tweaks and planning. Pick the suggestions that feel doable to you to keep from getting overwhelmed.

How to Beat Anxiety During the Holidays

Plan ahead.

To relieve anxiety before it has a chance to develop, consider planning ahead for the holidays. What do you like to do during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s season? Do you travel or stay home? Do you buy gifts only for your family, or do you donate time, money, or belongings?

You will need a financial plan and a schedule for events. You cannot be everywhere at once, and if you try to please everyone, you may wear yourself out and not enjoy any of the festivities. Instead, choose the events that matter most to you and your family. Then, schedule your time around those events. Make a list of the items you will need ahead of time. Sticking to a financial budget will keep you from stressing over insufficient money and encourage you to get creative.

Learn to say no.

As you plan, you must learn to refuse offers and opportunities that may bring anxiety. Consider the word no a complete sentence. You can offer a reason, but let that be your final say.

You have every right to enjoy the holidays just as much as your friends and family. Often, our loved ones make things complicated by volunteering or demanding our services or presence. Learning to set boundaries is one of the first strategies to beat anxiety.

Schedule self-care.

Do you skip self-care when life gets busy? Does sitting down with your Bible or a book and a cup of tea seem like a luxury? Taking a few minutes out of every day to indulge and care for yourself is healthy.

Make time to pursue a hobby or indulge in a self-care ritual. For example, schedule a half hour each evening before bed to read a book. Or commit to hitting the gym three mornings each week before you start your day. Your self-care does not have to cost anything; even walking around the neighborhood in the evenings counts.

Plan your meals and snacks.

With the holidays come goodies that you may not eat normally throughout the year. However, consuming an overabundance of alcohol, caffeine, or sugar can make you anxious and depressed. Moderation is the key to how you can use food to beat anxiety.

Consider writing a rotating menu for your meals and snacks. You could write 10 to 14 meals and alternate these throughout the month. Keep healthy snack alternatives around your kitchen, purse, and car for food emergencies. Live by the 80/20 rule: eat healthy food 80% of the time, and you can treat yourself (during the holiday) 20% of the time.

Review your finances and budget.

Part of planning ahead is knowing your income and how much you can spend on gifts, food, decorations, and other holiday items. This also means reviewing your budget through the holidays to keep it on track. Tight finances can lead to anxiety. You may want to bounce ideas off of a counselor on increasing your income without adding more stress to your life.

Can you work part-time from home? Is it possible to pick up a side hustle or network marketing opportunity before the holidays? What about decluttering your home and selling items you no longer need? Would it be less expensive to make gifts instead of purchasing them? Brainstorm ways you can increase your holiday budget or save money this season.

Create new traditions that serve you.

Sometimes, we needlessly increase our stress and anxiety by trying to relive past holidays and celebrations. Maybe you cannot prepare your grandmother’s dressing like she did or make your aunt’s deviled eggs. Maybe your father always took you to see the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve around town, but now you live in the city, and it is no longer feasible.

It may be time to create new traditions infused with some of your past favorites. If Christmas light viewing stresses you out, save your energy to watch the parade or put up your own tree with your family. Create new traditions that serve you and lessen your anxiety.

Speak to a counselor.

Although it might be the holidays, you can always speak to a counselor about new strategies to help you manage your anxiety. Anxious thoughts do not have to rule this Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year. Go into the New Year armed with proven strategies for how to beat anxiety.