Tips on How to Survive the Holidays

Holidays are that time of year that brings about mixed emotions. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also the time of year where a lot of us can feel stressed out, anxious, or depressed. There’s a lot going on and it’s easy to fall out of your usual routine.

We’ve crafted this handy holiday survival guide for tips to keep you on track during the holidays. Whether it’s Thanksgiving or the festivities of December, this guide will help you throughout the season. That way you can sit back and enjoy it no matter where you are.

Stay Consistent With Sleep

With time off, it’s easy to turn off the alarm and indulge in some well-earned rest. If you only have a few days off for the holidays, this is perfectly okay. But, if you’re in the position to have a week or more off, it’s better to keep your alarm on.

Messing with your sleep schedule has its consequences. Everything from feeling sleepy throughout the day to a lack of focus. And don't even get us started on the ever-dreaded brain fog. Coming back from vacation feeling less-than rested is the worst.

A couple of days worth of sleeping into your heart’s content won’t disrupt you. Enjoy it! It’s a vacation, after all. But after a few days, it’s best to get back to your normal routine.

And even if you’re the type of person that doesn’t like waking up early, take advantage of it while on break. Take a nice walk. Indulge in your morning beverage. Have some breakfast. Have a routine that fits in with rest and relaxation. Make it just as important to start your day as if you were at work or school.

Take Time to Yourself

During the holiday season, the focus is often placed on spending time with others. While it’s amazing to be with those we care about, it’s also good to make room for yourself.

When there’s a lot going on, we can get stressed out or overwhelmed. It’s okay to take some quiet time to yourself without feeling bad. Everyone else might want their own quiet time too!

Whether it’s in the wee hours of the morning, late at night, or sometime throughout the day, carve out some time to do something you love. Or something that you find relaxing.

Shop Online

Instead of hitting up the Black Friday sales, try to find Cyber Monday instead. Avoiding the hassle of going store to store adds stress and takes away time from the people you love.

Having a list and going to a dedicated website for what you’re looking for may help you spend less. Plus, you don’t have to worry about sneaking gifts around since you have to wait on shipping.

Everyone wins and you have more time to dedicate to the people you’re with.

Wash Your Hands

But, if you plan on going out for shopping and public festivities, do not skip on washing your hands. After living in the age of COVID, we know how important this one is. But here’s a reminder.

There’s a reason that flu season is at its peak during fall and winter. Since we’re all staying inside more because of the colder weather, we’re more likely to get sick. It’s due to the drier air and being in contact with each other more often than we’re not.

Wash your hands after your outing to avoid getting sick. Because there’s nothing worse than being sick on a holiday. Or even getting those you’re celebrating with sick as well.

If you’re out in public shopping or going to a holiday event, carry hand sanitizer. Then, as soon as you get home, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly under warm running water for at least 20 seconds.

Never forget that the holidays are a time to enjoy yourself! You’ve been working hard and you deserve time off. Stay well-rested and know your personal limits when it comes to festivities. It’s okay to say no and take time to recuperate.

Is there anything that you would add to the list? If you have any holiday tips that could help your fellow readers, leave them below!