Time Management Strategies For Holiday Stress Relief

If you spend the holiday season rushing about like a panicked lemming, it's time to apply some time management strategies.

For many, the holiday season is the season of stress. There are just so many things to do, and a limited time to do them in. Working people may feel especially harassed, trying to cram Christmas activities into their already limited "leisure" time.

If you're one of those people feeling more frazzled than festive, taking the time to use a few time management strategies can make a big difference; you'll feel as if you're in control, rather than feeling like you're being driven like one of Santa's reindeer.

Time Management Strategies For Holiday Stress Relief

1) Make a list.

It works for Santa, and it will work for you. Divide a page into two columns. List the things you have to do to prepare for the holiday season, such as gift shopping, on one side of the page and the things you want to do, such as special holiday baking, on the other side of the page.

2) Pick and choose your Christmas activities.

Many of us do what we do during the holiday season just because we always have, turning the entire month of December into a mad whirl of non-stop Christmas preparations and activities. If the things on your list that you have to do outnumber the things that you want to do, it's time to make your list more manageable by eliminating some of these holiday activities.

Do you really need to spend hours writing and sending Christmas cards, for instance, or hours making hundreds of chocolate balls? By all means do if you enjoy these activities, but if you don't, give yourself more time to do the things you enjoy by cutting them from your list.

3) Get an early start.

There's no rule that says that all Christmas activities have to be crammed into the week before Christmas. You can decorate your home for the holiday season in November if you want (or even, like I do, leave some Christmas lights up all year round.) Food for the holiday season can be bought in advance, and holiday gifts can be bought any time of year. Stretching out your Christmas activities over a longer period of time can really reduce your holiday stress.

4) Get help.

Who says that you personally have to wrap all the holiday gifts, do all the baking, and/or do all the holiday season decorating? This year, give yourself the gift of holiday stress relief by patronizing a local bakery, hiring a cleaning service to clean your home, or even having your holiday season party or festive dinner catered.

Think about how much your time (and sanity) is worth, and contract out accordingly. Use the gift wrapping services that many businesses provide this time of year. Use the time management strategy of delegation, and assign some tasks to other family members.

5) Break the holiday gift shopping gridlock.

You don't have to take the time to drive anywhere to shop if you don't want to. Shop and buy holiday gifts online or consider shopping with your small local businesses for all of your gift needs instead of the busy malls and big box stores.

6) Call ahead before you shop offline.

Why go six places looking for that one holiday gift when you could just make a few phone calls, go to one place and pick it up? I even call ahead and reserve a turkey for Christmas dinner from the local grocery store.

7) Avoid rushing around in a holiday frenzy.

Pre-plan and coordinate your journeys. You can easily combine running errands with Christmas shopping, for example, so why make separate trips? And why go Christmas shopping 10 or 12 times? Use your list and make your calls to cut down on the hours you need to spend shopping.

8) Turn chores into events.

Everyone finds some holiday season activities that have to be done drudgery. Make whatever it is you find drudgery more enjoyable by making it special and different. For example, make the Christmas baking a family affair, or invite some friends over for a tree-trimming night.

9) Slow down.

For instance, you don't need to buy, put up, and decorate the tree all in the same day. At my house tree trimming is an ongoing event. We buy it, put it up, and set out the ornaments. Then whoever wants to hangs a few ornaments on the tree when they feel like it. Sometimes it takes two weeks, but we always have a beautiful, fully decked Christmas tree by Christmas Eve.

10) Build time to relax and enjoy the festive season into your schedule.

Take the time to drive around and enjoy the incredible displays of Christmas lights, attend a special holiday concert, make snow angels with the kids, or just take a long hot bath. Your holiday stress will drop considerably.

11) Plan ahead for the next holiday season.

Christmas supplies, such as decorations and gift wrap, are often available at discounted prices in the week after Christmas, and they don't go bad! It's easy enough too to buy holiday gifts any time of year; all it takes is some planning.

The holiday season should be a joy, not an ordeal. Applying some time management strategies during the holiday season can help you regain the equilibrium you need to appreciate (and savor!) the true spirit of the season.