It’s the most stressful time of the year. It used to be the most magical time of the year, but at some point it became stressful. Christmas should be a time of caroling and goodwill, instead it has become a time of grumpy people and bad drivers. (Am I the only one who feels this way?)
So here are a few ways I’m working to take some of the stress out of the holidays this year. I believe it can still be my favorite time of the year, I just have to prepare myself. Here’s what I’m doing.
Only buy gifts if I find something.
When a gift becomes an obligation, it’s no longer a gift. Why not ditch the list, and just buy something if you see something that would be perfect for your friend or family member? If you’re buying for kids, do the obligation thing there by working through their list. Then just take the pressure of yourself. Nobody really cares if you don’t buy them a gift. And frankly…most people prefer cash or gift cards anyways.
Remember this is the season of grace.
All those grumpy people… they need God’s grace, just like I do. I need to remember that Christ’s birth was about bringing grace to all of us dreadful people who need it so much. Because of this, we need to extend that grace to others. Look for each difficult person as a chance to manifest Christ’s peace on this earth.
Plan for my driving to take longer than I thought.
Listen: People will drive horribly, cut you off, and be generally jerky. Just plan for it. I don’t know why I’m always surprised when there are ridiculous lines to get off the freeway near the malls. I should learn by now that that’s what happens. So this year, I’m preparing mentally in advance. Driving will be horrible. I’ll just bring my favorite audiobook and embrace the car time.
Remember: Nobody’s out to get me.
There will be loads of news stories about people trying to take Jesus out of Christmas. And maybe people are. But Jesus never really needed defending. He’s pretty good at preserving his truth throughout hostile generations. Let’s relax on the war on Christmas. It’ll take loads of stress off your chest.
Focus on the baby that was born.
This season is not about lights. Not about gifts. Not about trees. Not about family gatherings or meals. If none of that stuff happened, Jesus still came to the earth as a baby to be God with us. None of the other traditions matter. None of the other pressures matter. Everything about this season is summed up in that simple truth. Never forget that.
So those are my tips to lower the stress levels this Christmas. What are you doing to take the hecticness out of the holidays?
