This article originally appeared in Psychology Today.
Thoughts of a “normal holiday” after the last 20 months are so seductive and appealing. Folks feel they’ve earned a spectacular one with all the frills. But it might be best to go with simplicity and self-care this month.
People often feel enormous pressure to make holidays something amazing and memorable. They feel guilty if they don’t host, and cook, and wrap presents, and clean up the whole mess immediately afterward. They feel like they’ve failed if it’s not “perfect” in honoring every tradition that came before, or if everyone’s not happy.
Stress and depression are known to spike for a lot of people around the holidays. So, I’m here to tell you that this year, it’s okay if your winter break is simple. Ordinary. Relaxing and easy. You don’t have to do it all, for everyone else. You can just be. Here are four tips for keeping your holiday healthy and wise.