As much fun as the holidays are, they can be really stressful if you let them. Every time I add something new to the calendar, I get a little panicky about it all. Over the years I’ve developed a few tricks to help me from turning into the stressed out Christmas Grinch! I’m going to share my top 5 tips to manage holiday stress. Thanks to ZonePerfect Perfectly Simple bars for sponsoring today’s post.
- Take time for you. It sounds almost counter-intuitive but taking some time for yourself can keep you happier, less stressed, and more productive. Recently I have been saying I was too busy to go on my morning walk. Well turns out, I was less productive on those days. Getting some time for myself every morning, really helps me jump start the day. Technically I have 30 minutes less to accomplish other tasks, but I always find myself more motivated after taking some time out for me.
- Make lists, lots and lots of lists. The most obvious list is who you need to purchase presents for. Don’t forget to keep track of what you actually bought. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has overbought because I forgot that present stashed in the far back of the closet. I’m including calendaring in this tip too. Keep a calendar of all the different events you need to attend plus what you need to bring for them.
- Get shopping done early. I try and wrap up my shopping the weekend after Thanksgiving. I love to take advantage of black Friday sales. It also keeps December much more calm and peaceful if I’m not running around shopping like mad. Even if you don’t head out into the crowded stores on Black Friday, there are lots of deals you can find online too. If you can’t finish shopping that early at least cut off gift requests. I love that Glennon from Momastery tells her kids Santa stops taking requests on December 1. I also like to keep some gift cards or other generic gifts handy. It’s always helpful for those last minute gift needs that always seem to pop-up.
- Schedule family time. Every year I think about how I really want to take the kids to see Christmas lights, watch Elf together, make gingerbread houses, and so on. I find though that if I don’t put those activities on the calendar, they get pushed aside. All of a sudden it’s December 23rd and we haven’t done most of the fun activities I wanted. This year I’m putting down dates and times for the family activities that are important to me. They won’t be scheduled to the minute, but I am determined to keep chunks of time for fun memory making family activities.
- Keep a healthy snack handy. A healthy snack like ZonePerfect Perfectly Simple bars can really help keep the “hangry” away. I like to keep one stashed in my purse so if I’m out running errands I have a filling and nutritious snack at the ready. It saves me from caving in and hitting up the drive-thru window. I really like that Perfectly Simple bars have 10 grams of protein, are 200 calories or less, and are Gluten free. They taste great too! They even have a Peppermint Bark flavor for the holidays so you can keep your power snacking festive!
ZonePerfect is watching out for your holiday budget too. You can head over to their site and pick up a $1/off coupon. Woohoo! I love saving money, especially at the holidays. Don’t forget to check out the product finder on the ZonePerfect site, to find the nearest Perfectly Simple retailer.
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