Manage Holiday Stress: Put Yourself First

When the holidays come around, they can be a time of great happiness and great stress. There are a host of ways to go about managing these stressors during the holidays, but perhaps one of the most valuable is making sure that you care for yourself by prioritizing yourself during the holiday season.  

While this can seem counterintuitive as the holidays tend to focus upon caring for others, there is no way you can adequately give to and be present for other people in your life if you don’t first ensure your needs are met.

The following outlines some ways to put yourself first this holiday season so that you don’t burn yourself out.  

1- Know Your Worth

One of the most important parts of being able to put yourself first is to know that you are worthy of the care. Often, people neglect themselves and their needs because of an underlying belief that they don’t deserve to be cared for, but this is absolutely not true. You not only need but deserve care too. It is only when you truly believe this that you can pursue and push for the care you need without feelings of guilt. 

2- Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries is an important part of putting yourself first. Boundaries act as barriers that you establish with others so they understand how you desire to be treated and what you intend to allow or not allow.  

Boundaries act as protective measures that ensure you receive the respect you are due from others. Boundaries keep you from experiencing poor treatment. When you’re treated with respect and love it positions you to respond to and care for others from that place.  

3- Self-Care

Spending time engaging in activities and practices that promote your overall health and wellness is a good way to put yourself first. During the holidays as so much, time is spent doing things for and caring for other people, being intentional about doing something for yourself can help you to ensure that you are not being ignored, but rather also cared for during the holidays. When your needs are adequately met you can better serve those around you.  

4- Say No

It is okay to tell other people ‘no’ and getting comfortable doing so can help you to put yourself first in a major way. Too often people take on too many responsibilities because they don’t feel that they can or that they should tell others ‘no.’ So, they get looped into things that destroy internal peace and rob them of personal joy. Saying ‘no’ is a healthy means of establishing boundaries that can prevent you from being taken advantage of.  

5- Pursue Your Passions

The holidays are no time to put what brings you life on the back burner. Despite the busyness, it is important to continue in the pursuit of those things you love during this season. Passions are what give life meaning and bring you pleasure, so continuing to pursue them is an important part of caring for yourself and still putting those things that matter to you at the forefront.  

Final Thoughts

The holidays are not a time where it is okay to ignore or neglect yourself. While you can and should care for others in your life, investing in yourself is of equal if not more importance. No one is able to pour from an empty cup, so do what you need to in order to ensure your cup is full so you can give to others from the overflow of your life.  

Measures like self-care, pursuit of passions, setting boundaries, saying no, and understanding your worth can all effectively help you achieve this aim so that the holidays don’t cause too much stress or overwhelm.