It's Thanksgiving week, and we know what that means: the rest of the holidays aren't far behind. The holiday season is the busiest time in the United States, and it's also one of the most looked forward to. However, it can also be incredibly stressful since on top of everyday stressors like work, you need to tackle a few more including preparing the home for guests, cooking for them, and buying gifts.
The great news is there are many ways to cut back on the stress or at least learn to cope with it effectively.
According to Inc.com, you can beat stress by knowing when to say no. While it seems to be the best time to be kind and generous particularly of your time, in reality, you can only do so much. Besides, doing so many things at any given time can take a toll on your health at some point.
It's also advisable to learn to prioritize things, from commitments to to-dos. In fact, if you can, delegate some of them to have lesser worries.
WebMD, meanwhile, helps you beat the usual holiday blues. It suggests you take the holiday in stride and learn to create good expectations-that is, don't try to pressure yourself to match your basic idea about the holidays.
You may also need to have a good support system from friends and family. The holidays are a great excuse to see loved ones back home or invite them over.
Another way to cope is to explore a completely different activity especially if the idea of celebrating the holidays brings more anxiety than happiness. You can even skip gift giving to loved ones and instead donating the money to charity.
Health.com encourages you to go out and enjoy the outdoors, especially the sun. Sunlight can help alleviate your mood since it stimulates serotonin production.