Ideas to help you manage the pressures of the holiday season

Hectic shopping. Overpriced gifts. Frantic party planning.

Sound familiar?

The demands of the holiday season can leave us feeling downright anxious and overwhelmed causing us to miss what’s supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year.”

To manage all the commotion coming your way, it’s important to take a step back and gain some perspective first. So, before you start buying, hosting and fighting the crowds, take heed of these three keys for keeping you sane during the holidays.

1. Give yourself the gift of time by making room for your priorities

If your holiday events typically swell, take stock of everything by scheduling your most important priorities first. Start by prioritizing the event you want to attend the most. For example, meeting up with old friends or attending your office party. Don’t accept every invitation.

As less important events begin to pile up, your schedule will keep you focused on what’s most important and prevent you from over extending yourself. Most importantly, it will empower you to simply say no to less essential activities, which are likely to drain your energy and wallet.

2. You don’t have to be a Scrooge to spend wisely

A major source of anxiety during the holidays and well after, is overspending and amassing debt. It may seem unavoidable, but you can control your spending by sticking to a budget. Review your finances and firmly establish a realistic maximum you would like to spend that won’t put you deep into the red.

You can also connect with family and friends in advance and agree on a reasonable maximum to spend on each other. And there’s always “Secret Santa,” an arrangement between groups or families that involves anonymously purchasing a small gift for one person, for a set amount, which can help minimize costs.

3. You’re not Martha Stewart and no one expects you to be

No matter how hard we try, achieving that picture perfect holiday is impossible. It’s key to simply accept that fact and realize there’s no point in setting unrealistic expectations, which may end up causing conflict. Instead, aim to cover one or two realistic to-dos each day, giving you a sense of success.

A more realistic outlook also means not having to do everything yourself. So delegate to others. Let your family members help with decorating, have a Christmas pot luck instead of cooking a whole meal and give yourself the chance to enjoy the holidays.