While many people look forward to Thanksgiving, others dread the holiday. As a precursor to Christmas, Thanksgiving sets the tone for the holiday season and can contribute significantly to seasonal stress. But there are ways to manage that stress this Thanksgiving. With these three tips, you’ll be able to enjoy time with family and friends without stress getting in the way.
1) No se comprometa en exceso
One of the challenges of Thanksgiving is that everyone is competing for your valuable time. While many people have the holiday off from work, others — especially those in retail — have to work. That means you often have to plan your time wisely.
The inclination is to fit as many visits into a short period as possible, but this sets you up for a stressful situation. When you over commit, someone will inevitably be disappointed.
Instead, make it clear to family and friends that you only have limited time for Thanksgiving. Decide who you want to spend the holiday with, then spend your time with them. Running back and forth between dinners is exhausting — instead of feeling refreshed after the holiday, it’ll leave you feeling tired and stressed.
Be clear and upfront about your plans, and don’t let family or friends guilt you into changing them. This is your holiday, and you don’t owe your time to anyone else. Set your schedule and stick to it — you’ll be grateful you took the time to plan and didn’t over commit.
2) Spend Time With Family and Avoid Black Friday
Another major source of Thanksgiving stress is Black Friday. Every year, retailers compete for business by promising the best sales of the year, and people line up in the early hours hoping to score a “door crasher” special.
Retailers are great at over-promising and under-delivering. Often, by the time people get in, all the door crashers are gone — never mind the fights that routinely break out between customers over sale items.
Scrap the lines and spend time with your family this Black Friday instead. If you’re insistent on shopping, most major retailers offer great online sales, so you never have to leave home.
Commit to spending time with your family and friends while saving your money. Don’t fall for the hype retailers try to generate — take back control over your purchasing power and buy what you need, not what retailers have convinced you to buy.
3) No se exceda
Thanksgiving is a time for eating and, for many, drinking — which means plenty of people will overindulge. Take control of your appetite and minimize the impact overeating has on your waistline by committing to eating healthy and not overdoing it on food or drink.
When you eat junk and fill up on alcohol, it adds an internal layer of stress on your body that often results in extra weight, an upset stomach, and a bad hangover.
Instead of over-drinking, have water first and see if you still feel like having alcohol. If you do, pair it with healthy food rather than drinking on an empty stomach — and know when to stop.
As for food, fill your plate with delicious, nutritious options (like leafy green vegetables) and go easy on the heavy, carb- and sugar-dense items like potatoes or dessert. Eat the healthy food first, then have smaller, manageable portions of everything else. Filling up on healthy foods first leaves less room for junk later.
Reflexiones finales
This Thanksgiving, take control of your holiday experience and commit to the events, people, and activities that will actually benefit you. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and believe you need to do it all, see it all, and be everywhere at once.
Curb that inclination and dedicate time to yourself and your family. Use these three tips to give yourself the stress-free holiday you deserve.
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