Holiday burnout is real, and it can cause anxiety to rise in many of our hearts. As a person who easily gets stressed out by the holidays, I have to take many precautions to avoid overdoing it in this season. Maybe you have been burnt out in the past during the holidays and you want to prevent it this year, or maybe you know your boundaries and want to take proper precautions. Either way, preventing holiday burnout is important because it can make your holiday a better experience.
Here are five ways to prevent holiday burnout:
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1. Don't Neglect Your Time with God
One way to prevent holiday burnout is to not neglect your time with God. It can be easy to neglect your time with God during the holidays because of how busy you are. Despite being busy, you need to take time to spend with God each day. By taking time to go to God in prayer and Bible reading, you will be able to prevent yourself from being burned out by the holidays. God is your Heavenly Father, and He always welcomes you with open arms. He doesn’t want you to have a bad holiday because you are getting overwhelmed and burned out.
The holidays are supposed to be a time of happiness, excitement, and love. You will not be able to feel any of these things if you are constantly rushing around. No matter what holiday you are preparing for, know that you deserve a great holiday without burnout. Turn to God this year and don’t forget to spend time with Him in prayer as well as Bible reading. As you talk with God in prayer, tell Him about how the holidays are stressing you out and how you need His comfort.
The Lord has the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). He can give you this peace as you trust more in Him. It can be hard to trust when things are going wrong but know that you can always trust in the Lord. He can give you peace this holiday if you ask Him. The holidays only come once a year, and God wants you to enjoy your celebrations. Avoid being burned out this year by not forgetting to spend time with God.
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2. Be Mindful of Your Boundaries
A second way to prevent holiday burnout is to be mindful of your boundaries. This is something that I had to learn over the course of the past few years. It is important to know your boundaries as well as to stick with them. Sticking with them can be hard, especially if you are a people pleaser as I am. As people pleasers, it can be hard to stick with your boundaries because you don’t want to make anyone upset. Instead, you want to make everyone happy. While this is a notable goal, it simply isn’t possible. You cannot make everyone happy all the time.
People don’t need to treat you as a doormat, either, because some people will take advantage of your kindness. Be mindful of the boundaries you set and don’t allow others to change your mind. It is important to be mindful of your boundaries in order to prevent holiday burnout because your boundaries will help you know when enough is enough. You don’t have to go to all the events, nor do you have to buy presents for every single person in your friend group. Recognize your boundaries and stand by them.
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3. Don't Be Afraid to Say No
A third way to prevent holiday burnout is to not be afraid to say no. A friend from college and I were talking about this a few years ago because she struggled with saying no to people. She took on everything that was given to her and she quickly got burned out. Between college, her job, and her responsibilities at church, she didn’t have time to do anything else. All of this led her to be burned out—not only in her life but also in her walk with God. Maybe you have been in this place too as it is all too easy to take on more responsibilities because you are afraid to say no.
Don’t be afraid to say no this holiday season because there is no reason to take on more than you can handle. Not to mention that nobody should expect you to do everything when it comes to holiday preparations, decorations, and planning all the events. Mark yourself to do a few tasks or whatever you feel you can take on at the present time. If someone asks you to take on more responsibilities or to host an event you don’t feel up to hosting, don’t be afraid to say no. No is a complete statement and everyone needs to respect your decision.
It could be you just had a baby, got a new job, or went through the end of a relationship. All of these things can make you feel less inclined to want to be involved in holiday functions, much less host events. Treat yourself with kindness and don’t be afraid to say no. It is perfectly fine to pass on the events this year altogether if you don’t feel up to participating. Maybe spending some time with a few family members or a few friends is more what you are feeling up to this year for the holidays.
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4. Take Some Time for Self-care
A fourth way to prevent holiday burnout is to take some time for self-care. Self-care is extremely important when it comes to preventing burnout. The holidays can make us feel overwhelmed and stressed. Since this is true, we need to have a few tools in our toolbox to prevent becoming burned out. Taking some time each day for self-care is crucial in order to prevent yourself from being burned out this holiday season. Don’t push yourself too far or you could cause yourself to not have an enjoyable holiday.
Some ideas for self-care could be going for a walk, taking a trip to your favorite department store, or reading the book you have been saving. There are limitless ideas as to what you could do this year for your self-care routine during the holidays. Most of the time online we see only people who do skincare routines or take bubble baths as a form of self-care, but self-care can really be anything that makes you feel relaxed. One person’s idea of self-care could be totally different from someone else’s. Find what makes you feel relaxed and incorporate it into your routine this year as you prepare for the holidays.
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5. Don't Focus Too Much on the Negatives
A fifth way to prevent holiday burnout is to not focus too much on the negatives. As someone who chronically focuses on the negatives, I am well aware of the negative consequences of this kind of thinking. The more you focus on the negatives, the more negative and depressed you will feel. If you are only focusing on the negatives this holiday season, you are going to be more prone to be burned out. Rather than seeing the beauty of the holidays, you are going to be focused on everything that went wrong or might go wrong.
If you have found yourself in a toxic spiral of negative thoughts, this could be the perfect time to step away from this type of thinking. It is not helpful during the holidays nor is it helpful any other time of year. Focus on the positives and spend your time thinking about these things. Don’t allow the negative thoughts to steal your holiday joy. The holidays are supposed to be a time of celebration—not a time of dread. Try not to focus too much on the negatives and see if that will help prevent you from becoming burned out this holiday season.
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Originally published Tuesday, 03 October 2023.
