Dealing with Holiday Stress

Now that we’ve gone through all of the major holiday budget busters, let’s deal with the last problem: dealing with upcoming holiday stress.

Learn how to make a perfect poached egg a la Well-Heeled!

Learn how to make a perfect poached egg a la Well-Heeled!

Eat Right

The simplest advice is the best.

Don’t neglect your breakfast, and don’t stuff your body with greasy, heavy foods, or anything with too much salt or sugar.

Keep it light, nutritious and it will help you cope better with stress.

May I recommend a couple of poached eggs over some tomato slices & herbs, with a side of toast? šŸ™‚

Don’t Rush

If you have to leave for another city, slow down, leave later and don’t rush.

Take the later flight if you must get things tied up before you leave.

If you get there a couple of hours later, will that really be the end of the world?

No. It won’t. It will still be a beautiful holiday.

Be Early

I know I said to slow down and leave later, but ONLY IF you can get it organized without stressing yourself out, show up a day earlier before anything is planned.

And if not, some of the best times to travel is before 2:00 p.m., early in the morning so you have a whole day, rather than being exhausted at 3 a.m. coming off a red eye flight.

Consider Taking The Train or The Coach

If you cannot get relaxed, force relaxation upon yourself.

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I personally hate coach buses, but if you don’t have an alternative, it’s better than nothing.

With coaches or trains you just have to show up on time and wait.

No need to be there an hour or two before to get through security.

It can be a good way to relax, unwind and make time for yourself to read that magazine you bought, or just to sip a container of tea to calm down.

When I traveled back and forth from Toronto to Montreal, it was a 5 hour train ride.

After the first couple of times, I started to love it.

I could start by admiring the landscape, while drinking a tea and tapping away on my laptop coming up with ideas or a list of things to do.

And for the remainder, I’d spend the time watching a good movie for an hour or two, or some great videos.

Then I went back to finishing whatever I had to get done. Including sewing buttons back on my jacket! I brought a little sewing kit and went to town on all the things I had to get mended.

There’s a set block of time where you just have to sit and wait, and you can use the time to close your eyes, take a little nap, or get organized.

Whatever floats your boat.

Don’t Exhaust Yourself

Start early in your shopping if you know it takes you ashopping long time to get it done.

Wear comfortable shoes, and take your time, going through the list of people to buy for, methodically.

Get home early so you have time to unwind, unpack your shopping bags and to sit down for a light supper before sleeping.

Don’t over exert yourself into trying to squeeze every last minute of holiday cheer into your day. It’s going to get old, fast.

And thus concludes the holiday segment for this week.

Those are my major tips for beating holiday rush and stress.

What are some of yours?

About the Author

Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver. I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year. Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about my story here, or visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist.