Each year as the holiday season approaches, many of us feel a slow, unsettling rise in our stress level. Frantic shopping and decorating fill our days. Holiday programs and parties dot our calendar. We feel overwhelmed and that anxiety ultimately inhibits our enjoyment of the holiday itself. In our frantic preparation, we lose focus on the true meaning of the season.

I propose that we take everything down a notch: focus on the true meaning of the season, realize we’re not vying for the Southern Living Christmas cover (unless you really are then by all means, deck the halls!), and remember to be salt and light in our families. Here are a few tips as to how we can do that.

Tips For a More Peaceful Holiday Season

• Don’t over-shop. As we head out to shop for Christmas gifts, many of us fall victim to the snowball effect. We buy a few gifts and instead of stopping there, we buy increasingly more “just to make sure we have plenty of presents for everybody”. Then we spy something on sale and grab that, too. Why not this year, buy just one or two special gifts for each person—something you know they want or need. Resist thinking that the more presents you buy them, the more loved they feel. You show love to your family in myriad ways every day of the year. They know they are loved.
• Forgive old hurts. Look for the best in people this year and appreciate the unique place each person holds in your family. The holidays aren’t the time to rehash long-standing quarrels or revive deep-seated resentments you have with family members. Forgive them as Christ has forgiven you. Enjoy your family time and reminisce on your shared history. Remember the adage to “not talk politics or religion”.
• Take your decorating down a notch. Do you really need more décor items or another garland or collectable Santa? Many of us want a perfectly decorated home (it’s that Southern Living thing again) but is that really what your family will most remember? Or will they remember the hugs, the stories, the football watching, the games, and the laughter? The same goes for the food. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Most of the time, people don’t care if your food is perfectly presented, as long as they can fill their bellies and then take a nap.
• Find a way to bring in the true meaning of the holiday, whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas. In our family at Thanksgiving, we often go around the table and share what we’re most thankful for. Maybe you could read a scripture passage, a poem, or a devotion related to gratitude. At Christmas time, be sure to celebrate the reason for the season—the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Read the Christmas story out of the Bible and allow the little ones to dress up and reenact the scene. This was a tradition for us many years ago when all the cousins came over each year. You could also attend a local church’s Christmas pageant or concert. Find a way to bring meaning into your holiday celebration and in the process, you’ll be passing on the baton of faith to the next generation.

I hope these tips will help alleviate your stress this year. Enjoy a little shopping and decorating, just dial it back a notch or two. Holidays are a special part of life—an opportunity for fellowship, fun, and faith. They need not be a source of anxiety or stress. Life is short. Relish every moment—especially the holidays.

What are some other ways you’ve found to make your holidays less stressful? I would love to hear them. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.