This post contains some of the best holiday stress quotes.
Holiday Stress Quotes
1. “The choice is yours to live a stress-free life” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
2. “Reclaiming your holidays is doable. You do not have to go around spinning in circles with no true direction. With a bit of pre-planning, you can reduce the effects of pressures that the many activities scheduled between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the year inevitably bring.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
3. “The first step in this journey is to remember that a great deal of the stress we feel at the holidays is of our own creation.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
4. “Remember how exciting the holidays were when you were children? The thought of stress never entered your mind. Unfortunately, you can’t turn back the clock to childhood, but you can implement some ways to lessen the stress and truly enjoy the holidays.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
5. “Nothing is more stressful than having several activities scheduled all in one weekend, causing you to have to run from place to place without truly enjoying any event.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
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6. “The holidays are a wonderful time, but they can quickly become overwhelming if you neglect to plan ahead.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
7. “The stress will come if you have failed to plan, so let’s avoid that altogether by getting the family involved.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
8. “It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to attend every function, nor can you. Pick the ones that will be the least stressful and most enjoyable, perhaps ones with close friends or with people you don’t get to see often enough throughout the year.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
9. “There are times when you may need a little extra help to reduce your stress, and aromatherapy is a delightful and effective way to energize your mind and relax your spirit.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
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10. “One of the most important ways to reduce stress is to ask for help. This works not only during the holidays, but also all year round.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
11. “Many will go all-out decorating the entire house both inside and out, so instead of going crazy doing it yourself, ask for help. You can even make a party of it, which relieves stress and brings back some of the childlike joy of the holidays.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
12. “Save yourself a lot of time and stress and have your gifts wrapped at the store where you purchase them. Many stores offer free gift-wrapping services, or nonprofits often offer for-donation services at a table by the registers.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
13. “During the holiday season, the stores will be overly crowded, which can cause your stress levels to increase. Ask a friend to accompany you on your trip. Make a day of it and have a special lunch. You’ll be surprised how much you will accomplish with little to no stress, and it could even be fun!” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
14. “If you’re like most people, shopping is the most stressful part of the holidays. However, you can reduce this stress by shopping early. Of course we all have good intentions and plan to shop early, but for some reason it rarely works.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
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15. “Many holiday cards are available as early as September. Start addressing them early and they’ll be ready to send without any stress.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
16. “Avoid the crowds and long lines and shop online. Sometimes items bought online will come wrapped and ready to give, and often deals for free shipping are advertised during the holiday season.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
17. “Shop from the comfort of your own home in your pajamas and avoid dealing with the crowds the day after Thanksgiving. Many big retailers will have sales on the Monday following Thanksgiving. Shopping at home is more comfortable and convenient and will certainly reduce your stress.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
18. “Why pay the retail price when you can find incredible buys in the clearance rack? Stock up on decorations and candles, as well as items that never go out of style, and store them for use next year.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
19. “It’s important to remember that, although the hustle and bustle of the holidays are upon you, your daily routine should not end. Your everyday practices help to calm and center you, and you will still need them to get through this busy season.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
20. “If you are stressed, you can bet your mate is as well. Make sure to spend some quality time with him or her, whether for lunch or dinner, and talk about anything other than shopping, decorating, or holiday parties.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
Related: Healthy Boundaries Quiz (+Free Pdf Worksheets)
21. “Get away from the rush of the season and enjoy a movie. Don’t just rent a movie; actually go the theatre. Getting out of the house will help you relax and focus on having fun amidst home-based activities that tend to be stressful, especially if you have greeting cards to address and presents to wrap.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
22. “The famous “B” word—budgeting. During this season be sure to set a budget ahead of time and, most importantly, stick to it. Nothing is more stressful than receiving the credit card bills in January and then taking an entire twelve months, or more, to pay them off.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
23. “Budgeting doesn’t mean you have to go on the “cheap.”Instead, implement a few tips and tricks to keep your holiday season stress free and budget friendly.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
24. “During this season, and every season, there are many people in need. The holidays tend to accentuate that need because of the spending sprees some go on at this time of year. A great way to reduce the stresses you may be feeling is to help and serve others.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
25. “The magic word I’m referring to is “No.” During this holiday season you will without a doubt be approached to participate in something, help someone, or donate of your time to your church, school, family—the list goes on. If you have a problem using this magic word, then you will experience the inevitable—stress.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
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26. “During this time of year it seems that everyone is rushing to get professional photos of their families taken. Do you know how stressful that can be? Standing in line for hours with grumpy children all dressed up?” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
27. “Traveling can be stressful any time of the year, and it tends to be even more so during the holidays. However, by setting some plans in place you may avoid the headaches and stress altogether.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
28. “Make time to go outside and release all the energy that tends to get pent up, energy that leads to stress. When you are active, it boosts your energy and your mood, so don’t slow down just because the holiday routine may be a little different.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
29. “Make the time to go outside or simply take a break from the craziness that surrounds the holiday season” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
30. “Do you have people on your list who seem to have it all? Those people are certainly the hardest to purchase for, and thinking about it leads to stress.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
31. “In order to curb your stress level, try to keep your social gatherings small and intimate. Get together with a few of your closest friends or relatives for the holidays.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
32. “Some of the most time-consuming and stressful moments of the entire holiday season are spent wrapping gifts. Once you’ve completed your purchase list, the wrapping comes into play. Don’t do it alone!” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
34. “The holiday season is always more enjoyable when you can share it with others. Instead of taking on all the tasks yourself, let others help you.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
35. “The holiday season brings on many parties and celebrations. With those celebrations you will find many delicious treats that will tempt you to indulge. If you succumb to your weakness, you will find yourself ill from overeating and stress will begin to build up.” – Dr. Daisy Sutherland
Related: People Pleaser Quiz (+Top 21 Proven Ways to Stop People Pleasing)
FREE Stress Resources
Stress Assessment: The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is an easy-to-use 10-question stress instrument, developed by psychologist Sheldon Cohen at Carnegie Mellon University.
Worksheets
- Self-Care Worksheets Download PDF
- List of Pleasant Activities Download PDF
Printables
TED Talks
- Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend | TED Talk
- Rob Cooke: The cost of work stress — and how to reduce it – TED
- How stress is killing us (and how you can stop it). | TED Talk
- Heidi Hanna: The Cure for Stress | TED Talk
Apps
- App for meditation: Calm
- App for adult coloring: Colorfy
- App for mood tracking: What’s Up? A Mental Health App
- App for sleep: Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep
- App for breathing techniques: Breathwrk
- App for journaling: Moodnotes
- App for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): MindShift CBT
References
- Portions of this article were adapted from the book 21 Ways To Enjoy A Stress-Free Holiday Season, © 2011 by Dr. Daisy Sutherland. All rights reserved.
