Managing Holiday Stress: Self-Care Strategies for Women

It’s the holidays! Time for family gatherings, piles of food, and upholding traditions passed down through generations. But why do women feel so exhausted? Frankly, it’s because most of the work falls on our shoulders, leaving us little time for self-care, let alone rejoicing.

At Women’s Health Care Center of Houston, with two locations in Houston, Texas, our team of women’s health and reproduction specialists offer a complete range of women’s health care, including support around the holidays.

Holidays are oh, so stressful

Women’s stress levels can rise sharply during the holidays as additional “high value” tasks are piled on top of the ones we normally have to perform. Top holiday stressors for women include cooking, travel preparations and organization, family interactions, and work-related issues. Here’s what you can do to reduce stress and move self care up your too long list of responsibilities.

1. Just say ‘No’

“No” can be a magical, freeing word. Everyone asks for favors around the holidays, and it’s 100% valid to smile, say “I'm so sorry, my plate is already full,” and walk away. If you have family, travel, traditions, and work to deal with, no one can blame you for needing to focus on that rather than volunteering for some organization or another.

2. Make new traditions

You have the ability to start new traditions if your family’s plans longer serve you well. If going to a certain place, being around certain people, or doing certain things makes you stressed and unhappy, you’re being blocked from the reason for the season. Drop by to say “Happy Holidays!” if you need to, and then feel free to say you’re making new memories and starting new traditions this year, so you can’t stay.

3. Choose family time over food

Does a week of preparations followed by a day of frenzied hours in the kitchen really appeal to you that much? Maybe this year you reserve a holiday meal that’s ready to go, and concentrate on a few special dishes your family will love. You can get turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and veggies from a dozen different places, then make a special salad and a dessert for more time with your family and less toiling in the kitchen.

4. Make time for you

Did you get a requisite mom gift, like a robe and a basket of bath products this year? Embrace it. As everyone sinks into a tryptophan-induced haze, gather up your gifts and let everyone know you’re not to be disturbed for at least two hours. Sneak off to a bathroom and luxuriate in the tub to the sound of gentle music and recharge. You’ll be glad you did as moms say it can take months to recover from holiday stress, so get an early start.

Don’t let the holidays stress you out. Put yourself first, and gather support from family members so you’re not stuck as the holiday “admin” while everyone else has fun. You deserve a happy holiday too!

Worried about the effects of holiday stress on your health? We’re here to help. To schedule an appointment, call 713-365-2900 or visit our contact page for more information.