5 Steps To Mentally Prepare For The Holiday Season

Mentally Prepare For The Holiday Season With These Mindset Tips And Strategies.

Back-to-school season is well underway, and we are starting to think about the Fall and Winter Holidays. Now is the perfect time to mentally prepare for the holiday season.

Whether we are excited for (or haunted by!) retail stores being three months early for everything, we may be starting to plan and have some anxiety around, the approaching holiday season.

This week continues our month-long delve into avoiding overwhelm during seasonal transitions and holidays in your home, work, and personal life.

Today, we will talk about preventing holiday overwhelm in our lives by preparing our mindset and routines for these busy times.

Get into a stress-free and easy mindset this holiday season with these tips.

1. Don’t Create Unrealistic Expectations For The Holiday Season

This is probably one of the most significant sources of holiday stress.

As the holidays get closer, we start having all these fantastic ideas, sometimes creating completely unrealistic expectations of ourselves, our budget, and our time.

Take the time to check in on your holiday goals and see what’s realistic for your time and budget, and then plan from there. You will end up closer to your vision if you start from a place of what’s possible.

2. Don’t Compare

It is so true that comparison is the thief of joy.

As tempting as it is, don’t compare or set standards for your holidays based on what someone else is doing. Do what the right fit for you and your family is, and you will have a much more relaxed holiday for it.

3. Set a Realistic Budget And Stick To It

One of the most significant sources of stress during and after the holidays is overspending.

Set a budget for yourself and your holiday spending well before the holidays arrive. Include travel and hosting costs along with your gift spending.

Consider starting a dedicated savings account just for holiday spending. Being able to see what you have and where it is going will help you curb financial overwhelm.

Start an account in the Spring, and you will have a nice chunk of money by the time the holidays roll around.

4. Stick To A Routine

Sticking to a routine is one of the best ways to protect ourselves against stress and overwhelm during the holidays.

Creating a plan that lets you know what is coming up each day is the best way to defeat any chaos that may arise during your day.

When something unexpected happens, remember that you can take care of it and take comfort that your routine will be waiting for you afterward.

5. Check-In With Yourself

Throughout the holiday season, take a few moments each day and at the start of each new week to check in with yourself. Are you stressed? Are you overwhelmed? If the answer is yes, ask yourself why.

What can be adjusted or removed from your schedule or a to-do list that can relieve this? Can any tasks be delegated?

Adjust your routine and habits accordingly until you find your sweet spot.

Taking note of how you feel regularly can save you from a mega meltdown that makes it hard to climb out from under.

Conclusion

The holidays can be stressful for many reasons, including financial stress, unrealistic expectations, and packed calendars.

Implementing these tips on preparing your mindset for the holidays now will help you avoid being overwhelmed and enjoy yourself and your friends and family this holiday season.