6 Holiday Survival Tips Between bags of candy, family meals, decorating homes, and wrappings gifts, the “Holiday Season” is notorious for causing high stress situations. We are here to offer three simple, but often overlooked, tips for navigating holiday stress. Plan Smart Goals You know your body better than anyone. Whether you are decorating, cooking, or party planning, be sure to take yourself into account. Start by thinking, “what is the one thing I absolutely need to have done?” That could be grocery shopping for special ingredients or decorating your living room. Then, once that task is set and ready, ask the question again. Build off of what you absolutely need, so that you won’t start an overwhelming task and be unable to finish. This way, there is as little wasted energy as possible. Ask For and Accept Help If you are the kind of person who is reluctant to get help becuase you like things done a particular way, try your best to take a step back and give up some control during the holidays. If you typically host and prepare a big family meal, let someone else host, or ask other people handle side dishes while you focus on the main course. If you love going all out on decorations, just focus on one room and let friends or family decorate the rest of the house. If you wear yourself out, or cause a symptom flare-up due to high stress, you won’t be able to do anything anyway, so try your best to stay open to help. Don’t Forget to Rest Probably the best thing you can do to help combat holiday stress is to simply find time to relax and recharge. When you plan out your activities, whether cooking, cleaning, shopping, or socializing, be sure to schedule some time to rest. Even outside of stressful situations, failing to get adequate rest can lead to fatigue and irritability, which may then compound the stress on you, leading to more issues.