Three Tips for a Stress-Free Christmas

If your family is anything like mine, Christmas is filled with as much hustle as it is happiness. Here on Christmas Eve, there on Christmas Day, back here on the Sunday after. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good hustle. I don’t mind it a bit in my day-to-day. But, the rush of the Christmas season can become overwhelming and easily overshadow the real joy we should be celebrating. This is, in my humble opinion, how to ditch the stress this Christmas and really celebrate.

1. Relax.

I mean really relax. You see that fluffy thing over there by the window? The sofa? Sit on it. Oh, there’s laundry in the way. That’s okay. Grab a cup of cider and kick your feet up, if only for a few minutes. We are busy folks, the holiday season should be a time to slow down for once. Unplug the computer, forget about the shopping list, and take some time for yourself. For your heart. Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad // Proverbs 12:25

2. Say “No”.

My husband and I often feel pulled in hundreds of different directions during the holidays. We both have large families and want to spend time with everyone while we can. Though we cherish this time together to celebrate, it becomes nearly impossible to see everyone on Christmas. We have learned to say “no”. It’s okay to celebrate Christmas with some family members a week before or after. The point isn’t to cram everything into the day of our Lord’s birth. The point is that we celebrate and rejoice in it together. Even if it is on a Thursday night at Olive Garden. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them // Matthew 18:20

 3. Give.

Whether it’s buying a gift for a co-worker, cooking a meal for someone in need, volunteering your time at a nursing home, or donating clothes or toys to the less-fortunate, God has called us to give. All too often, the incredible gift of Jesus’ birth is snuffed out by what is under the tree. The joy I have opening my own presents is so tiny compared to the joy I feel when I give, no matter how small. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ // Acts 20:35

 

Now, if I can just hold myself to these three little reminders this Christmas. Tell me, how do you ward off stress during this busy season?

Cheers!

Mattie at somethings.the.blog

 

(photo credits // 1 // 2 // 3)