How to Survive the Holiday Season (COVID Edition)

The holidays might look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun in and create lasting family memories this year,

This season is suppose to be a time filled with magic, giving and wonder. But more often than not, the holidays quickly become stressful and overwhelming.

It’s often one of the busiest, most expensive, and most draining times of the year. And that on top of COVID is a whole lot to handle.

But I believe there are ways to simplify the holidays and live intentionally even during the holiday hustle.

Read on for ways to take the chaos, stress and craziness out of the holidays. And instead create a simple, meaningful, heart-filled holiday season you and your family can enjoy together.

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• Best Dressed Holiday Party Guest

5 tips to help you survive the holiday season

1. Set Realistic Expectations

Slow down and take a deep breath. This year is going to be different and acknowledging this ahead of time will save the the stress down the road.

Figure out what your priorities are for the holidays. And take some time to get clear about what’s most important to you during the holidays.

You need to pick what is most important to you and focus on those things, then let the rest go.

2. Holiday Preparation List

Once you have your priorities and expectations in check, it’s time to start planning.

Mark all the important dates in your calendar and create a list with deadlines to get things done. Also create a budget to help relieve that financial stress during Christmas.

There will always be surprises and stressful situations that we haven’t prepared for. But by preparing for the ones we can, we can minimize the overwhelm even by a little bit.

3. Focus on gratitude

The attitude of gratitude goes a long way to keeping you in check during the holiday season.

Take the time to notice and appreciate the simple joys during the holidays. And actively look for things to be grateful for.

We all have a lot to be thankful for!

4. Know when to say ‘no’

There are always many commitments during the holiday season. And it’s perfectly okay to say ‘no’ to what you’re not comfortable doing.

Help out where you can, and say no when you can’t. It’s important to take care of yourself first and if you can’t commit to something, politely decline and don’t feel guilty about it.

And don’t forget to do something for yourself during this time as well, you deserve it!

5. Create a COVID Family Tradition

This can be a twist on an old favorite tradition or even creating something completely brand new. I think the most important thing is to create memories with your loved ones during the holiday season.

Find something that will bring the family together, whether that’s a Zoom party or even something like a fun socially-distanced challenge, like best Covid-Cocktail (or mocktail) and a Covid-baking challenge. Some outside of the box might be needed, but that will make it all the more memorable!

Remember, at the end of the time you and your family’s holiday memories probably won’t be about who got what, or how many dessert options there were. What you’ll most remember is the time you spent with each other and the memories from it!

More winter & holiday posts:

• Holiday Gift Ideas for Everyone On Your List
• 7 Winter Looks to Copy Right Now
• Surviving Winter in Toronto
• 12 Winter Outfits I’m Wearing Right Now

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XOXO,