It’s holiday season! A time of cheer, joy, and good wishes. But even the jolliest person can get a little overwhelmed by the Yuletide whirlwind. Between end-of-year deadlines, family coming to town, and holiday shopping, stress can get the best of you. So here are 5 tips on dealing with the holiday juggle like a pro.
1. Remember: One thing at a time.
Think of everything you have to do and imagine having to get it all done today. Overwhelming, right? Here’s a better approach: Focus on one thing at a time. Write down your tasks in order of importance and then break it up into daily to-do lists. Pro tip: keep daily-to-do lists short. Only jot down what you can realistically complete.
2. Exercise — even though you don’t have time for it.
Sure, it’s the holidays. Eggnog and firesides are whispering sweet nothings in your ear. But remember that exercising does wonders for your mental health. It can put you in a good mood despite the millions of things you need to do. Added bonus: It gives you more energy to conquer the tasks ahead of you.
3. Take a break. You deserve it.
Take a break from everything and everyone. Give yourself some time to be alone and do something you love. Catch up on a TV show you’ve been missing, read a couple chapters in a book, meditate, go for a hike — anything that will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the season in stride.
4. Talk it out.
We all need to vent sometimes. Just talking about your stress can reduce your anxiety a ton. And it can be great to get another person’s perspective. All you might need is a reality check.
5. Don’t overthink things.
Forget about what you can’t change and focus on what’s at hand. Overthinking what could, should, or may happen will only cause unnecessary stress you don’t need. If you catch yourself falling down the rabbit hole, take a step back, take a breath, and only focus on what you can control (no ifs, ands, or buts).
Have any other tips that we missed? Tweet us @moproteam and we’ll add them here.