7 Tips to Preparing for the Holiday Season

‘Tis the holiday season! It’s arriving quickly and you must start to prepare yourself for the hustle and bustle of all those family gatherings, work parties, and get togethers. It’s a jam packed time of the year where people from all over will gather around to celebrate Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. With that comes the need to share my top 7 tips to preparing for the holidays!

1. Learn to Say No – this is the number one tip I have for you, learn when to say no! Do not overschedule your family by accepting every holiday party invite you receive.
2. Set Gift Giving Limits – learn to set limits on how much you will spend and who you will purchase gifts for within the family. This is a great discussion to have across the board with all extended family members.
3. Set time for You – there’s nothing worse than overscheduling yourself for everyone else just to find out you have run yourself into the ground. Be certain to set aside personal time to maintain lower stress levels.
4. Create a To Do List – many people work best off lists, create an effective to do list that will assist you in staying organized and not neglecting important details of holiday preparation.
5. Have a Potluck Dinner – this is the solution to a hostess that is getting stressed over having to prepare a feast for the holidays. A potluck dinner can lower stress and bring together unique food options.
6. Consider a Secret Santa – this is a great way to save money, have the family draw names and become a Secret Santa instead of having every family member purchase for everyone.
7. Keep it Simple – the holidays are all about connecting with family, learn to keep the events simple and to the point. This allows you all to feel relaxed and truly reconnect during the holiday season.

The key is to learn what limits you must enforce to keep your sanity all the while maintaining true to yourself. There’s nothing wrong with putting your foot down, learning to say no and sticking to a routine that helps you fully enjoy the season!