December is in full swing – and with it, all the excitement of the holidays. This time of year brings so much joy, but it also brings stress for many of us. We need strategies to make Christmas less hectic.
At holiday time, we’re usually in a mad rush to check things off the list. Shopping, baking, decorating, greeting cards, parties. There’s so much on our plates that we forget to relax and enjoy the season.
Don’t let holiday stress get you down. Slow down, breathe, and appreciate the season. Shift your perspective, and focus on what matters. Today, I’ll share some strategies to help you do that.
Let’s dive in.
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12 Ways to Make Christmas Less Hectic
The right focus can bring more enjoyment as you navigate the holidays. Christmas is about God’s gift to us: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Here are 12 ways to make Christmas less hectic and more fun.
1. Read Christmas Devotions
Christmas, at its core, is about love. Jesus came to earth as the greatest expression of God’s love for us. Advent – the weeks leading up to Christmas – celebrates the birth of Jesus and the anticipation of His return.
Reading advent devotions can help you find peace amid the holiday frenzy. It puts the focus on Jesus and makes Christmas more meaningful. For a FREE devotional you can read this month, click here, here, or here.
2. Start Planning Ahead
Are you so busy with your to-do list that you can’t enjoy the season? Or prepare your heart for things that really matter? It’s important to plan ahead for the holidays so you’re not rushed and stressed by it.
Abby Lawson of Abby Organizes shared five simple ways to plan ahead for the holidays:
- Create a holiday budget
- Make a holiday bucket list
- Compile a list of gift ideas
- Plan your holiday décor
- Buy an advent calendar
Budgeting is a BIG part of planning ahead. You can rock around the Christmas tree without racking up debt. Be smart with spending and saving. Ramsay Solutions has 25 tips to save money this Christmas.
3. Enjoy Holiday Traditions
Do you have a favorite holiday tradition or meal? Make time for the things you love the most. The bucket list Abby mentioned can help you be more intentional with this.
Whether it’s baking cookies, viewing Christmas lights, or watching Holiday Inn – create a bucket list. Then mark your calendar, gather your family, and start making memories!
4. Set Respectful Boundaries
Don’t let other people call the shots. Not your mom, father-in-law, sister, or cousin. YOU get to decide where to go for the holidays, how long to stay, who to invite into your home, and how much to spend on gifts.
John Deloney wrote Redefining Anxiety. “It’s important to set boundaries before you’re knee-deep in Christmas festivities,” he wrote. Settle in your mind what you will and won’t permit. This can help you avoid family conflict.
5. Learn to Say “No”
Don’t accept every invitation you receive this month. Ugly sweater parties, Secret Santa parties, cookie exchanges. Holiday gatherings are fun, but you can’t be everywhere at once.
Know what you can handle. Make family time a priority, and only commit to events you want to attend. To make Christmas less hectic, think quality over quantity. Remember, YOU can decide.
6. Delegate Holiday Jobs
Paint a picture of how you want Christmas to look, and share it with your loved ones. Then ask them to paint their own pictures. This can help you understand where everyone is coming from.
Next, delegate holiday jobs. Ask for help with gift wrapping, meal preparation, and other holiday chores. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Sharing the load makes Christmas less stressful and more fun.
7. Live in the Moment
Don’t worry about everything that “must get done” before Christmas. Or even later today. Live in the moment. Focus on the task at hand, whether it’s wrapping gifts or signing cards.
Have trouble focusing? Jot notes down on paper to clear your mind. Or take notes on your phone. Evernote comes to mind, but Harry Guinness of Zapier found six good alternatives for 2023.
And don’t forget about your daily planner. Keep your holiday season organized with Homemaker’s Friend. It has sections for notes, household tasks, shopping lists, and more.
8. Stay Healthy and Rested
Everyone experiences stress and anxiety once in a while. Anxiety affects at least 40 million Americans. For many people, Christmas is the most anxiety-inducing time of year..
Sleep is one of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain’s emotion network becomes overactive. This increases your anxiety levels.
Instead of staying up late to binge on Christmas movies, make sleep a priority. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
Get some outdoor exercise, too. Fresh air can improve your mood and relax you. Ride your bike through the neighborhood, or go for a hike in the woods. Take your family on a walking tour of the Christmas lights. A snowball fight is exercise, too!
Nothing’s worse than being sick during the holidays. So step outside, move around, and get enough sleep. These immune-boosting activities will help you feel strong, healthy, and peaceful.
9. Stay Off Social Media
There’s a lot of information – nonsense and news – in America right now. We watch it on television, hear it on the radio, and see it on our social media feeds. It’s overwhelming.
If your Christmas is hectic and stressful, take a break from social media. Those Pinterest and Instagram photos are fantasy – specially curated to present a certain image. They breed envy and low self-esteem.
This month, spend more time looking at your loved ones than staring at your screens. “Hold hands, not video game controllers,” said Deloney. “Choose human connection, joy, and laughter over thumbs-up and retweets.” Your device has an off button, so use it.
10. Avoid Travel Stress
Three years after COVID brought traffic to a halt, travel is back and stronger than ever. Almost half of all Americans plan to hit the road this holiday season. That makes Christmas one of the worst times to travel.
If you MUST travel, accept there might be bumps in the road. Give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination. And don’t travel hundreds of miles to a place that is unwelcoming, cheerless, or threatening. Remember, you can say “no.”
Once you decide to see your family and friends, do it with a good attitude. Christmas should be full of joy, gratitude, and laughter.
11. Donate to Charity
Christmas is a time for giving – not only to our family and friends, but also to others. Giving reminds us of the Christmas story and the greatest gift of all (John 3:16).
A small donation can remind you what matters most this holiday. If you can’t give money, donate clothes or food. If you don’t have something tangible to give, volunteer your time and service.
Prayer is another good thing to give, and it won’t cost you a dime. Praying for others is an unselfish act of love.
Donating to charity seems like just one more thing to do, but it’s worth it. When you give, you bless others. And when you give without expecting something in return, YOU experience blessing.
If money is tight, here are 10 giving ideas to spark your creativity. My post on Giving Tuesday also has tips to help you help others.
12. Take Care of Yourself
In this giving season, don’t give so much of yourself there’s nothing left to give. Take time to enjoy the things you love. Go on a date with your spouse. Treat yourself to lunch, or go to a movie.
Create space between work deadlines, shopping trips, and holiday parties. Stick to your normal routine as much as possible. Caring for yourself can help you relax while you make Christmas merry for others.
Wrapping It Up
Don’t let the holiday hustle get you down – or get so caught up in the frenzy, you forget what matters most. Make people your priority this Christmas, and be intentional about it. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” after all. May it be a memorable one, too. ◻️
Related Posts
- 7 Practical Ways to Trust God, Even in Setbacks and Struggles
- 12 Ways to Protect Yourself From Common Holiday Scams
- Feeling Stressed Out? How to Respond When the Pressure is On
Now It’s Your Turn
Thank you for reading my post. Now it’s YOUR turn to chime in. Do the holidays overwhelm you? What is your strategy to make Christmas less hectic and more fun?
Let’s fill the comments with friendly conversation. Scroll down to leave a reply, ask a question, or just say hello. And if you liked this post, please give it a share.
Blessings, Annette
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