Even if you’re a social butterfly and thrive in party environments, the holidays bring a whole new level of intensity to socializing. There are great expectations, travel demands, rich food and drinks flowing like water. Without the proper planning ahead, it can be a recipe for disaster. Prevent holiday party burnout with these 6 tips.
Get organized. Write your holidays plans down in a devoted calendar if you have to. Where you need to be, when you need to be there, and what you need to bring. Especially if you have to travel, make sure you plan ahead and allow enough time to get there. That means not scrambling at the last minute to get a gift or bottle of wine. If it helps, make sure you’re got a stash of wine or generic hostess gifts before your social life gears up for the holidays.
Take time for you. If you’ve got a chock-full weekend of partying ahead of you, schedule in some me time. Go for a run. Do some yoga. Take a bubble bath. Remember that if you spread yourself too thin and try to attend every gathering you get invited to, you won’t even be in top notch condition to be your best self when you’re there. Be kind to yourself, then you can be kind to others. That’s what Christmas is all about, right?
Don’t try to be Martha Stewart. Seriously. You don’t need to add to the stress by trying to make a different plate of fresh cookies or homemade gifts for every party. It’s not efficient and it will likely put you in a terrible mood by the time you get to the party. If you really want, bake a few big batches of cookies ahead of time and stash them in your freezer so you’ll have something homemade on hand to bring all month.
Avoid malls. Some people thrive on the pressure of shopping last minute. If that’s you, disregard this tip. For most of us, feeding off the frenzied energy of others is a sure fire bad mood maker. You don’t want to have to wrench yourself out of a crappy mood before party time. Avoid the stressful situations that are staring you in the face. A hectic mall is one of them.
Adopt a less is more attitude. The holidays are all about excess, when they should really be all about spending quality time with your loved ones. Focus on the quality, not the quantity. That goes for amount of parties you can handle, amount of people you invite to yours, and number of drinks / sleeves of shortbread you’ll actually enjoy.
Wear comfy shoes. Especially if you’ll be dancing, wearing comfy shoes really helps prevent physical fatigue. Plus, you don’t want to pair a killer hangover with blisters all over your feet.
