Stay Organized

Having a strong routine in place before the season is in full swing will help you navigate your to-do list with ease. The days are getting shorter, so it’s easy to feel like you aren’t accomplishing enough during daylight hours. Create a list of things you can do at home at any time of day and prioritize events and errands that you need to do during the daytime or early on in the season. Utilizing spreadsheets or other collaborative tools like Todoist can help you structure your goals clearly and concisely. The more organization you have, the less stress you may feel about upcoming events.

Keep Exercise on Your Calendar

While you’re creating a good routine for the season, you must also take into account your physical wellness. Maintaining your fitness routine is crucial to your overall well-being. As consistent exercise can help boost your mood, it’s a great way to ward off the winter blues that are common during this time of year. Securing time in your schedule to focus on your physical health is beneficial to your ability to handle holiday stress. This could include spending the early hours at the gym, or winding down your day with a run. Whatever you choose, be sure to keep consistency in mind for the sake of your routine.

Prepare for Financial Stress

When it comes to spreading holiday cheer, expenses can rack up faster than you can collect your receipts. Financial stressors can overwhelm you if you aren’t creating a proper budget for the season. If you do find yourself overspending and overindulging, it’s important to prioritize your financial wellness to start the new year off on a good foot. Looking into debt consolidation as a resolution for your bills can ease the financial burden you’ll carry into the new year. Having a plan in place to tackle your budget can reduce your stress and help you spend less time worrying, and more time present with the ones you love.

Limit Your Hosting Burdens

When you’re hosting festivities, the stress of preparing for the event is almost as bad as the stress you feel throughout the whole season. Enlist your guests to help with one aspect of the gathering to help take things off of your plate. That could include creating dishes to pass, buying decorations and helping in the set-up process, or even taking on the legwork of creating the playlist for the event. No job is too small and asking for help from others will ease the burden on your shoulders.

The stress of the holiday season can feel overwhelming year after year. By creating and maintaining some healthy habits that help all areas of your life, you'll ensure that you survive and thrive in the joyous winter holidays. Use those habits to support your health and happiness this, and every, year.