Not stressing during the holidays is like telling a fat kid not to touch the cake.
Because if you put that cake in front of me, I might just eat it.
So telling someone not to stress during the holidays is kind of pointless, right?
Well, I don’t think so and only because I have “cracked the code” to all this holiday madness.
But really, don’t stress this holiday season.
Forget about the gifts, forget about the idea of being alone, and forget about trying to please others.
I know it’s easier said than done but read this post in its entirety and you’ll see how beating depression and stress this holiday season is very much possible.
So How do You NOT Stress Over the Holidays?
I have the same exact formula that I use and I want to share it with you today.
This has worked for me in many parts of my life but most especially for the most stressful time of the year.
Even if it’s supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year”.
This same me last year and the many years before that was exactly like you though.
I felt the need to buy, buy, and buy some more.
What my kids wanted, felt like I had to get.
I would go out of my way just to get whatever it is that they wanted.
The same applied to the people close to me.
These days, a lot has changed and only for the better.
With that knowledge, I would like to share the wealth as I’m sure you are probably already stressing about gifts and trying to be everywhere at once.
1. Think For Yourself
The world is a dangerous place, especially if you’re not equipped with the right knowledge.
It is designed to work against you and you will get and be trapped for as long as you allow it to.
For me, I took the road not taken and did everything the non-traditional way.
We are taught to go to college and get a degree to get a better job, I decided to run a business.
We are taught to move up the ranks and get promoted so we can make more money, I quit my job and got out of the military.
You see guys, the governments that is ran by the world is not here to help anyone.
They are here to keep order and find ways to get more money in their pockets.
And if you look at the Trillions of dollars that the US government owes, you can clearly see that it is literally impossible to pay any of that off.
So if you think that’s okay and there is a way, today would be a great day for you to wake up and smell the coffee.
This is the first and most important tip to a stress free holiday and one that will help with your overall life.
Just because everyone is celebrating Christmas does not mean you need to as well.
And no it does not mean you are a loner or anti-social but rather a thinker an one that strives for better.
2. Ignore Advertisements
As a marketer myself, I know exactly how advertising works.
This is a good thing for me but a bad thing for others.
Ads are all over the place and it’s impossible not to see them.
They’re there with you when you watch TV, while you’re on your phone playing a game, and with you on the road when you’re listening to the radio.
They absolutely work and most of you don’t know why.
Now here’s the thing.
Christmas is supposed to be that time of giving and feeling happy.
Well, that’s exactly how advertising makes you feel.
Happy and wanting to give too much.
Take the ad in the image above as an example.
When you see these kids all smiley and ish, it makes you think about your kids and how you can make them smile too.
Again, that’s how ads are supposed to work.
So then you get in your car and head to Walmart, to get the toys that will make your kids happy.
Now this is only from a real ad, so can you imagine what more if you see it in a commercial?
What more if your kids are around to say “dad can you buy me that”?
These ads will make you do some crazy things and will eventually drive you broke with a lot more unwanted stress.
Ignore these ads and you’ll see that you can save a lot more money.
3. Understand That Times are Tough (For Everyone)
DO NOT GET A LOAN!
That’s what everyone else is doing and it is also what amounts for a lot of stress.
It might not be instant but it will be with you for the rest of next year.
Be practical and know that everyone is dealing with the same nonsense.
Prices are going up for everything and the only thing staying put is your dang pay.
If you do feel the need to get a gift, keep it simple and within your budget.
But if you read what I have to say in tip #4, you will see my real thoughts on buying gifts.
4. Understand Christmas
Christmas is supposed to be about what?
Heck, some of you don’t even know.
I’m not the most religious person on the block but I do know that this has to do with Jesus and his birthday and all that good stuff.
But is that really what it’s for?
I beg to differ.
Christmas is the most selfish time of the year and some of you might disagree.
That’s okay, just allow me to explain.
If it’s not about Jesus then we look at Christmas as a day of giving.
We are taught to give and not worry about receiving.
That’s all that is said but the complete opposite happens.
We give but expect something in return.
We act like we care about the holiday and everyone but we focus on our kids and selves.
This is also that same time of the year where the worst things happen.
More stealing, more crime, and more stuff that I would rather not mention.
So when you think that you’re celebrating a bunch of good stuff, take the time to think about things as that is really not what’s happening.
5. Think of Others
I’m sure you already knew this but how can someone think about anyone else when they are struggling themselves?
It’s actually really simple.
Forget about Christmas and think about others on every other day that isn’t Christmas.
How about you visit that Mom and Dad of yours that you only visit during the holidays?
Maybe buy them a gift out of nowhere instead of waiting for the one day that you feel you need to get them something.
Think about others but do it when it counts and not for that one day out of the year.
Do something for someone else on a regular old day and I can promise you that they will never forget it.
Do it on Christmas and they will say thank you and that’s about it.
6. Keep it Simple
Life is complicated.
That’s what we all think and we can’t tell ourselves otherwise.
The problem however has nothing to do with “life” itself.
It has everything to do with the way we decide to live our lives.
Like mentioned in tip #1, breaking tradition is a great place to start.
By truly understanding why we do things will help you trim the fat and actually win at life.
You can then see that you do not need to go to every event that gets thrown your way.
You will then see that you do not need to buy something just because everyone has it.
Be different and keep things simple.
While everyone’s out there buying fancy cars, I’m skipping the $400/month car payment and I’m building my online business.
While everyone is out there buying a house, I’m renting and enjoying the mobility that I absolutely love.
Just because someone is doing something does not mean you need to do it also.
I come from a huge family that has their kids playing all kinds of sport but all I do is soccer.
I’ve learned to go against the grain but most especially, I’ve learned to simplify things.
Do the same and you’ll see how much of a headache the holiday season is not.
7. Study the Bible
Like I said earlier, I am not the most religious person out there.
However, I have did some Bible study in the past few months and boy has my eyes really opened up to what life is really about.
By reading and understanding what the book of life teaches, you will see how complicated you are making things.
Believe in God or not, the Bible will point you in the right direction.
If you don’t understand why we die and all that good stuff, it’s in the Bible.
Wondering why you stress over spilled milk, the Bible will help you there too.
Don’t knock it before you try it as it has ALL the information you need to make life that much easier.
I do recommend you do some type of study as reading it alone might confuse you.
There are Bible sites out there that will connect you to real people who can help you if you want.
Give it a try and you will see some crazy changes in your life.
Conclusion – Don’t Stress
That’s right, don’t stress.
Christmas comes once a year and it disappears even faster.
Those gifts you didn’t get will not be taken to heart and they won’t even notice it.
If you have kids, get them something out of the blue on January 5th or something.
They’ll probably be a lot more happier knowing that they got a gift even if Christmas is long gone.
At the end of the day, you need to worry about yourself when it comes to these days that others feel the need to go all out on.
You are going to be just fine and soon enough everything will blow over.
And if you are alone, look at things in a more positive way.
You don’t have to buy gifts for anyone and you don’t have to worry about disappointing others.
Look at this as a great time for you to start a blog and make more money, rather than spending it.
If you can understand and implement some of the stuff I mentioned in this post, I’m sure you will take away a lot of that unwanted stress.