We are entering a busy holiday season and it is nice to have a strategy for how to deal with family stress during the holidays.

Being a mom of three, I know how much stress it can bring on your shoulders. Mama is a light of the family and to spread the love and joy around you need to feel good, active, and positive.

Today I am sharing my favorite resources that help me to “fill my cup” and give me the energy to handle the holidays with more serenity and a positive attitude.

Holiday Shopping in Portions And in Advance

Weekends are the only time I have for shopping as a full-time working mom. This year we also do open days at high schools almost every weekend and this makes every weekend even shorter. The trick that helped me a lot was to do a bit of both seasonal and holiday shopping (gifts and outfits) every weekend during the grocery shopping or online.

Going to a big shopping mall allows you to do both and save a lot of time and energy. I made a list of ideas for gifts for all the family members and friends in advance and every grocery shopping tried to grab also few gifts or do some seasonal shopping as well.

Cozy Moments And Self-Time

This is probably my favorite one and the most difficult one. Schedule the hairdresser, do your nails, or just do the “wellness home shower” with your favorite products, do the hair or foot masks for example. It can be something even more simple and easy – like journaling, coffee with a friend, or a slow morning. Important that you take a moment to do something that makes you feel happy.

A cup of my favorite herbal tea, fuzzy socks, or cozy blanket, and my favorite movie is how my Sunday evening looks like. Self-time and self-care can be a walk with a friend in the park or delegating some tasks to make space for you to “breathe”. We don’t have to do it all!

Christmas Music

It might feel silly, but it helps. I have never been a great specialist or fan of Christmas songs and carols, but this year they are helping me to do all the housework and cook meals. “Jingle Bell Rock” and a zillion other holiday songs you’ve heard a thousand times are a fantastic way to charge with positivity and a good mood. Here is my favorite YouTube playlist right now:

Podcasts, newsletters, and books

Lean on your community, and your mentor’s recourses available online or offline to pass this holiday season with less stress.

Making time to listen to my favorite Rachel Hollis podcast during lunch break at work helped a lot to meet this holiday season with more serenity and a positive attitude. Maybe not all episodes will resonate with you, but for sure you will find some wisdom nuggets that will help you to get through the busiest time of the year in a better mood.

Another surprising resource for me this year was the discovery of the Arnold Schwarzenegger newsletter. “The Positive Corner of the Internet” he calls it. In each newsletter, he gives so many interesting insights on healthy lifestyles and tips to stay healthy, strong, and motivated. If you are like me and struggle with weight gain during holidays, it might be helpful for you too.

Personal development books.

They always helped me to “get myself together” and improve so many areas of my life. The next books on my bed table: “Be Useful” by A. Schwarzenegger and “Didn’t see that coming” by R. Hollis.

What’s on your reading bucket list?

Relaxing Evening Routine

Paying attention to the evening routine helps to sleep better. And good sleep is GOLD. Believe me, there is nothing more important for good health and being active than a good night’s sleep. Try to work on it for a week and you’ll see a huge difference!

I try to go to bed and wake up at the same time. Including an aroma therapy trick in my evening routine helps me to go to bed more relaxed and sleep better. I put the sandal sticks in the lavender oil on the bed table an hour before sleep. Then 5 minutes before going to bed, I open the windows to refresh the air in the room (I am very sensitive to any aroma), close the oil bottle, and remove it inside the dresser leaving the sticks on the bed table. They still “release” the pleasant and subtle lavender aroma that helps to fall asleep faster and sleep better (no waking up 20 times).

Ok, those are my best finds to “survive” this holiday season. I am very curious to hear about yours. Please share them in the comments below.