How to Limit Your Stress Around the Holidays

*this is a sponsored guest post by Alex Berger.

Holidays are a time for relaxing...or at least we hope they will be. A lot of the time, especially over the past few years, the holidays have seemed to become so stressful. Between holiday shopping in massive crowds, splitting your time between family and friends, and cooking for huge groups, it just is not as stress free as it used to be, unfortunately. This year, however, I am determined to make my holidays as stress free as possible and I hope you will do the same. Think about it - you work so hard everyday and you deserve some time to relax. The best time for this is during the holidays, surrounded by the people you love. Will you join me in my mission to make the holidays relaxing again? I hope so! Here is what I am going to do to make this happen:

Make a list for Christmas shopping

I am bad about overdoing my shopping. I can’t help it - I just love to spoil people! I think most people are this way (unless you are the Grinch! Just kidding). This year, I will make a list for Christmas well before I need to start my shopping. So, this means that I need to start now, ha! This will ensure that I won’t overshop and it also makes sure that I include everyone. It is the worst when you accidentally forget to include someone. I love checking out Pinterest for inspiration on gifts - there are so many choices!

Plan early and relax later

There are a few ways that you can plan early, in order to relax early. The first way is by shopping early. Black Friday is usually when Christmas shopping ramps up (for most people). I am going to try my best to get 90% of my shopping done before then. If I don’t have it all done, I can always shop online, too. By doing this, I am not rushing around two days before Christmas, wrapping every single one of my gifts. The second way I can plan early is by creating a menu well before Christmas rolls around (this can go for Thanksgiving, as well). Creating a menu will allow me to relax close to the day because I won’t be looking up recipes, writing down a menu, and making a shopping list. Instead, if I do this a few weeks before Christmas, all I will need to do is go to the store! Lastly, which I touched on above is to make a list for Christmas shopping early. This way, I can have a list ready to go when I get all of my shopping done early!

Designate business related tasks

Everyone should do this in order to spend quality time with your families. How many of you are checking your emails, on conference calls, or maintaining your websites just days before Christmas? I know I am victim to this and I know too many people who are. Let’s change that this year and actually get the opportunity to spend the holidays with the ones we love. For me, and for some other business owners, this may look like hiring help and that is okay. In my research, I found SEO company NJ to help some of you out with this!

NJ SEO is the number one marketing agency in New Jersey. They offer services like social media marketing, website design, link building and content, organic long term SEO, and more. This is absolutely perfect for those that want to keep improving and growing your websites, but also want time to spend with your families. NJ SEO takes a holistic approach to your internet marketing strategy because their main focus is on conversions. They do not have preset packages or templates. Instead, they understand that you are a unique business, which is why they provide a full consultation to new clients. Typically, an SEO analysis is $300, but you can get it for free on their website now. NJ SEO is a family-run, veteran owned company led by Matt Anton and Dan Anton. Matt runs the New Jersey branch of NJ SEO and was the former marketing manager for Liberty Travel, managing a 250k budget each month. Matt along with the rest of their team brings many skills to the table to ensure that you get the best experience possible with NJ SEO. 

Limit my commitments

This is one thing that is really hard for me. There are so many parties that go on during the holiday times and I have a very hard time saying ‘no’ to invitations, but it is important to do so. A busy schedule definitely leads to stress, so if I limit the parties I attend, I can also limit the stress. A great way to do this is by surrounding myself with those I love and cherish and RSVPing no to the parties where I would be around acquaintances. 

Do you have any great tips to limit stress around the holidays? I would love to hear your thoughts!