The best way to manage stress around the holidays is to be prepared. Whether you plan on sticking to past holiday traditions or creating a few new ones of your own, you need to take things one at a time. Trying to manage the holidays in a COVID environment can be challenging. Sticking to a tight budget and limiting your shopping may a few factors you would want to consider.
Here’s a list of stress management tips that you can follow to ensure a festive holiday season.
1. Keep Your To-Do List Up to Date
Just like an Advent calendar, there is something new to do every day. A few weeks before Thanksgiving, start making a daily “to-do” list. Don’t worry about finishing everything on the list each day. Mark things off as you complete them and carry over the things you couldn’t complete to the next day. Before you go to bed, create your list for the next day by adding a few new tasks.
2. Sort and Donate
If you have kids, now may be a good time to go through their things and donate clothes they have outgrown and toys they no longer play with. With the COVID crisis disrupting the financial means of so many families, donating to local charity organizations will be beneficial for everyone involved. Books, clothing, toys, games, and various other items for adults and children can all be handed over to those in need.
3. Turn Up the Music!
It’s hard to maintain high levels of stress when you turn up the music. Dance while you vacuum or dust. Put on the old holiday classics while you are standing in the kitchen, cooking your family’s favorite meal. Going for a walk? Grab your headphones and listen to your favorite playlist. Turn up the music and enjoy the view as you walk through your neighborhood.
4. Delegate Chores
The holidays are a family affair. Even the little kids can help you with chores if you give them tasks they can handle. Once the house is clean, and everything is ready, those same little hands can help you decorate the house. Little ones love to please their parents, and they love the bright and shiny decorations of the holidays. Include them in your preparations, and you will create a passion for the holidays that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
5. Start Early and Plan Ahead
If you want to have a stress free holiday, you need to start early and plan ahead. Plan out your holiday so that you know you will have time to get everything accomplished without having to race through your preparations. While you are out and about finishing up the last of your holiday plans, remember to maintain social distancing requirements and take other basic precautions as needed.
With these helpful holiday stress management tips, we hope you will be able to have the best and brightest holiday ever despite the current pandemic. For your insurance needs, we’re here to help. Contact the team at AimPro Insurance to secure reliable coverage.
