Ways of Being: Life Coaching to Heal Your Life!
Marlene Shiple, Ph.D. The Life Coach Dr.: Heal Your Past + Heal Your Thoughts + Heal Your Self => Heal Your Life!

Oct

30

How to Reduce Holiday Stress Before the Season Even Begins

Filed Under Stress Remedies

A cup of tea and a journal on a small wooden table, a quiet moment to reduce holiday stress

Why does the season feel heavy before it has even started?

It’s barely November.

Yet the stores are already full of lights. The invitations are starting to arrive. Someone has asked who is hosting this year.

And somewhere in your chest, a familiar tightness has begun.

You haven’t bought a single gift. You haven’t cooked a single meal. Still, you feel tired just thinking about it.

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. The good news is that learning how to reduce holiday stress can begin now, well before the busiest weeks arrive.

Where Holiday Stress Really Comes From

Holiday pressure rarely comes from the calendar alone. It comes from the expectations we carry with us.

Here’s what often sits underneath it:

That tightness you feel is not a weakness.

It’s your mind trying to protect you. It is looking ahead, sensing a lot coming, and trying to prepare.

Signs of Holiday Stress and Anxiety

Pressure often shows up quietly before it shows up loudly. You might notice:

If these feelings grow strong, linger, or begin to affect your health, please reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional. The National Institute of Mental Health also offers a helpful fact sheet on stress and when to seek help.

You Get to Decide What This Season Holds

Here’s a gentle truth: most of what we feel we must do over the holidays is actually a choice.

That doesn’t mean letting go of everything you love. It means choosing on purpose.

When you decide ahead of time what truly matters, the season becomes something you shape, rather than something that happens to you.

Imagine for a moment arriving at the end of December feeling rested instead of depleted. Imagine remembering the moments, not just the rush.

That is possible. And it begins with a few quiet minutes and a pen.

How to Reduce Holiday Stress: The Two List Reset

This simple practice takes about fifteen minutes. All you need is a notebook, a pen and a quiet moment, perhaps with a warm cup of tea.

  1. Breathe out first. Let a slow breath leave your body. Then breathe in for a count of 4, and out for a count of 7. Repeat three times. (For more on calming breath, see Breathing for Life!)
  2. Make your Expected List. Write down everything you feel you are supposed to do this season. Don’t edit. Just let it all out of your head and onto the page.
  3. Make your Heart List. On a fresh page, write the three to five moments that would make this season feel meaningful to you. Be honest. They may be very simple: a quiet morning walk, one dinner with close friends, a favorite movie under a blanket.
  4. Compare the two. Circle anything on the Expected List that supports your Heart List. Cross out, or simply soften, one thing that doesn’t.
  5. Choose one boundary. Write one sentence you can use when you need it, for example: “That sounds lovely, but I’m keeping that evening free this year.”

Remember: the goal isn’t a perfect season. The goal is a season with room in it for you.

Holiday Stress Tips That Lighten the Load

Once you know what matters, these small steps can help:

Questions You Might Be Asking

Why do I feel overwhelmed before the holidays even start?

Your mind is looking ahead at a season full of expectations, events and decisions. That early overwhelm is a signal, not a failure. It’s telling you something needs more room.

What is the fastest way to reduce holiday stress?

Pause and breathe out slowly, then choose one thing to simplify this week. Small, early decisions, like setting a budget or sharing a role, ease more pressure than trying to do everything perfectly.

Is holiday anxiety normal?

Yes. Many people feel more stress during the holidays. If it lasts, affects your sleep or health, or feels too heavy to manage alone, talking with a professional can help.

A Gentle Reminder

Your Next Step

Writing things down is one of the most powerful ways to ease pressure and steady your confidence. If the Two List Reset felt helpful, My Confidence Journal: The Art of Journaling to Enhance Confidence offers guided pages to help you keep going, one quiet moment at a time.

Get My Confidence Journal

It’s your life. YOU write the script.

Marlene Shiple, Ph.D., The Life Coach Dr., is a grief and transitions coach and the author of Welcoming the Dawn.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Comments

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.