Stress of Christmas – Don’t Let the Holidays Stress you Out

stressed at Christmas

Almost as soon as school supplies sell out, stores are filled with a fleeting assortment of pumpkins, black cats, and orange candy. If you’re lucky, you might find some dinner napkins with a turkey or cornucopia left over to adorn the Thanksgiving table. But more likely, the Halloween goblins are quickly replaced by Santa Claus. The first signs of Christmas arrive long before most people even think about all the shopping, cold weather, and decorating that go into the biggest money-making holiday of the year for marketers! The first time you hear the bells of the Salvation Army trying to collect your nickels and dimes at a local storefront, the stress of Christmas has begun.

How to Simplify Christmas and Reduce Stress

What to get for whom, and how to afford it all, are two questions that don’t always go together. Most families have entirely forgotten the true meaning of the holiday and replaced the celebration with credit card debt, loan applications, and misery! Children are given more gifts than they can appreciate, and many of these gifts end up in yard sales by spring. If you take a moment to think realistically, you might find ways to alleviate the stress of Christmas and actually enjoy the time with family and friends.

Christmas has certainly been inflated into a holiday primarily for children. While the kids sit opening presents under the flickering lights of a fir tree, mom and dad are seeing dollar signs flash in their heads. Sure, the kids smile for a moment, perhaps even squeal in excitement, but they quickly toss the gift aside to rip open the next one. Appreciated? Not really. But you can’t blame the kids; this is something they’re taught early on. Many parents set an inexplicable budget for each family member or even count gifts to ensure equality, regardless of whether they can afford it. Some might exclaim that they “just love to give presents” or that “the holidays make them go overboard,” but the sad truth is that no one should give gifts they can’t afford. If someone judges you for not giving them a nut basket or gets offended for being left out of the mix, they’re not the kind of person who truly cares about your well-being.

The stress of Christmas doesn’t have to be. Setting limits and imposing boundaries is a good thing. Talking with extended family and perhaps picking names out of a hat, rather than buying for everyone, can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Do you really need a gift from all your in-laws, and do they really need one from you? Shopping sales and infusing kids’ presents with things they actually need—rather than just want—can stretch the household budget and teach them valuable lessons about money and gratitude! When people ask what to get your children, suggest practical items like a winter coat, new boots, or something for school, like a computer accessory. This way, the gift is useful, it won’t end up in a garage sale or buried at the bottom of a sticky toy box, and it saves you from buying it yourself.

If you can’t remember what you bought last Christmas, are still paying for it now, or feel ill at the thought of the holidays, you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to make a change. There’s no shame in telling people you don’t have the money for extravagant gifts. The truth is, there are plenty of things you can make at home that will minimally impact your credit card bill. Create photo stories for your parents, handcraft a beautiful frame with handprints and kid pictures for the grandparents, or put together festive snack bags with dollar store items, hot cocoa, or baked pecans. Christmas has a unique aura that should not be compromised by stress, worries, or dread about the months ahead. If you overindulge, striving to have the most ornate decorations on your block or the best gifts without considering the price, you’re stealing the true meaning of Christmas and the spirit of the holiday away from your loved ones. You’re also more likely to find yourself sick, in debt, losing hair, and resenting the season as a whole.

The stress of Christmas is something that everyone feels in one way or another. Reducing that stress so you can truly enjoy the season is the best gift you can give yourself. There’s beauty in simplicity, and simplicity brings beauty to everyone who witnesses it—including children! Driving around to look at lights, visiting holiday markets, and chopping down a live Christmas tree at an orchard are the things that create lasting memories. As the children grow, using the holidays for a family event, like a ski vacation or a beachside getaway, can create memories that last forever. Perhaps buy each person a new bathing suit or ski boots and place the travel itinerary inside.

The bottom line is that we don’t spend our lives handing out money aimlessly to everyone who adds value to our lives—at least not until Christmas. A heartfelt card thanking your mail carrier, a home-cooked meal for your child’s teacher complete with all the sides, and artwork painted in pastels by your kids framed in a $5 frame are gifts of the heart that far surpass any money you could have spent! The holidays should be over by January 2. For many people who approach the holiday season the wrong way, this is when the real stress of Christmas begins!

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