The Ultimate Guide to Surviving the Holidays

7 Seasonal Strategies That’ll Have You Jingling All the Way

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… kind of! Hectic schedules, sugar highs (and crashes), and sold-out toys can all wreak havoc on your otherwise-awesome holiday plans. But before you get tooooo Grinch-y, let us help you out.

We’ve got all the Santa-approved strategies for surviving the holidays! Read on for some simple ways you can make the holidays more merry, less Scrooge!

• Get centered

  First things first: take a deep breath and find. your. zen. Whether that means meditating, hitting the gym, or a Netflix binge is up to you!

  But panicking about the perfect gift for your picky aunt or squeezing in the time to bake everyone’s favorite cookie is just going to leave you frazzled and miserable.

  Remember: the holidays will be awesome not because of what you do but because of who you’re with.

• Get your zzzzz’s

  Surviving the holidays requires plenty of sleep, you guys! Because being exhausted can also make you feel cranky, irritable, and anxious.

  Try to aim for roughly 7-8 hours of sleep each night. And yes, that means even on the nights you have an Ugly Christmas Sweater Pub Crawl. You can sleep in a bit the next morning.

• Stay hydrated

  And not just with a Mistletoe Margarita (or two)!

  Dehydration wreaks havoc on your mind and body. Think headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps… Still not convinced? Dehydrated skin looks dry, ashy, and rough—not exactly a great look for your mistletoe selfie!

  Carry water with you on your merry-making, and try to follow the 8×8 rule: eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.

• Schedule downtime

  Shopping. Baking. Office parties. We know they’re all fun, but trust us: too much of a good thing is absolutely draining.

  As much as you love the holidays, your body simply isn’t meant to be go-go-go for the entire month of December.

  Make sure you find little bits of “me time” where you can relax and nibble on your favorite Christmas cookie. If you’re struggling on this one, block off even a small increment of time on your calendar, then shut down notifications for that bit of time.

• Get moving

  With a busy social calendar and reduced gym hours, you might not be able to stick to your usual workout schedule. But if

  Be open to switching things up. Drop in on a new class, go to the gym before work instead of after, or try a guided at-home workout app (we’re big fans of FitOn).

  Or, give your workout a seasonal twist with a brisk walk to “ooh” over the neighborhood Christmas lights, ice skating, or even a Christmas morning 5k.

• Stick to your budget

  Finances are one of the biggest stressors this time of year. It’s easy to overspend, but the last thing you want to do is spend the next 11 months paying off this one.

  Where can you watch your wallet? Buy baking/cooking ingredients in bulk, set holiday gift-giving spending limits, and look for ways to save on your holiday travel.

  Your bank account will thank you!

• Make it easy

  Did you guys know you can buy pre-assembled gingerbread houses?!? You can go straight to the fun part: decorating.

  Other time-saving shortcuts you can take to make the holidays more festive and less frazzled include having stores wrap gifts, pre-printing cards instead of signing them, and even buying some of your treats (we know, it feels like cheating to us, too!).

The holidays are notoriously stressful, but they don’t have to be! Our insanely easy strategies for surviving the holidays will keep you cool, calm, and Christmas-y all month long.

Oh, and we do have one last tip if you’re a holiday traveler. Ship your bags to your hotel or Airbnb with LugLess. You can skip the lines at the airport and head straight to the gate, just like that scene from your favorite Hallmark movie. No hassles, no waiting.