Tips to Escape the Stress of the Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Calendars are packed, to-do lists are long, and stress levels are high! I’m bound and determined to keep this holiday season as happy as possible, so I asked some Twitter friends to share their tips and rituals for escaping the stress of the holiday season.

 

Rituals and Tips to Escape Holiday Stress

• One of my tips for staying sane is to carve out “me” time each day. I do that by sitting down to a cup of coffee. There is a reason coffee is hot… it’s meant to be sipped and savored, not rushed. I use that 15 minutes in my day to get a grip on the day and it truly does work. (See the bottom of this post for a discount code for Cafe Escapes K-Cups!)
• Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod recommends avoiding the malls, which I know is one thing I plan on doing! She says, “Avoid the malls. I hate the chaos and madness! Shop online, from local stores, or make homemade gifts!”
• Jen from Savory Simple is right on the money when she says planning and organization are key. “Time management and spreading out tasks help me stay sane. For example, I make and roll out pie crust the day before. Don’t do everything at once!” Theresa with The Craving Chronicles agrees… “Make as much as you can ahead of time! I make cookie dough, scoop out & flash freeze for ready-to-bake cookies.”

• Shirley from Lovely Lanvin escapes to Twitter and Instagram for a sanity break. I agree that sometimes a little mindless internet surfing is a great way to veg and recharge!
• I love what Amy from The Nifty Foodie suggests…”Make decorating the house an all-day fun tradition with family! I loved helping to trim the tree w/ family as a kid!” Turning chores into a fun party is a great idea!
• I like the way Rebeka from Kvetchin’ Kitchen thinks… “Balancing “me time” with abundant cooking time. Sometimes they overlap, but it’s good to find equilibrium!” Three cheers for me time!
• My friend Aviva from The Six O’Clock Scramble has an entire blog post full of tips for saving your sanity during Thanksgiving. One of my favorite tips is “Don’t try to do it alone.” Basically, if you have friends or family to offer to help during the holidays, jump on it! 

• Amie from The Healthy Apple gives to others for her sanity… “I give to a charity as a gift for family members! Volunteering for those less fortunate during holidays makes me feel good too!” I love this idea!
• Flavia from Flavia’s Flavors has a tip for saving time and sanity… “I have a separate group on my Mac’s address book with a list of my Christmas card recipients & print labels for my cards from it.” I need to figure out how to do this, stat!
• Shalagh from Shalavee took some advice from Simple Mom and ordered her Christmas Cards early. Another great time saving tip which obviously will reduce last minute holiday stress.
• And finally, my friend Amy from She Wears Many Hats keeps her advice simple. “Drink more wine.” Yes, yes indeed!

I hope these tips, and the gentle reminder to take time out for you, help you to keep stress at bay this holiday season.

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Happy  holiday season to you all – I hope you find the time to escape the stress of the holidays!

Disclosure: I am honored to be a Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup Ambassador. All opinions expressed are my own!