The holidays are a magical time of year when you share special moments with friends and family. With all the running, planning, and spending, though — it can also be a stressful time for many. Here are a four ways you can reduce your stress, stay on budget and even squeeze in a little you time.
1. Plan. The best way to handle the hectic holidays is to do a little planning ahead of time. Being proactive can be difficult when you already live a very busy life, but it pays off when you need it most. So, my advice is to start now. Yes, it’s a month before Thanksgiving, but Pin a few recipes before bed each night. Next time you’re at the store, grab the non-perishable items you need. That way, you can just run in for the fresh produce and proteins when you need to get cooking. The grocery store is a madhouse during the holidays, so less time you’re in there, the less stressed you’ll feel during crunch time.
2. Pot Luck. It’s easy to sit down and enjoy a piece of pie, especially if you aren’t the one making it! A fun way to involve all of your family and friends during the holiday is to host your big holiday meals as a pot luck! Everyone will bring what you assign them, and you don’t have to worry about orchestrating an entire meal.
3. Schedule your services. Scheduling services for yourself becomes especially difficult during the holidays with everything else on your mind. But this time of year is when salon, spa and boutique services fill up the quickest. Most places can schedule your beauty services like nails, hair and lash appointments months in advance, so, schedule the services you know you’ll want to look and feel your best.
4. Start shopping now. Shopping for deals ahead of time for gift items not only reduces the last-minute shopping stress, but it also spreads out your expenses over a few months instead of a few days or weeks. All you’ll have to worry about now is finding a good hiding spot for everything!
