Holidays are such an oxymoron. They are indeed the happiest time of the year (who can be upset with sparkly tree-lined streets, fresh wreaths, excited kids, and hot cocoa season?!), but they can sometimes make me way. too. stressed. This year, I’m 100% dedicated to myself and to keeping sane during this happy but hectic time. Here are a few tweaks I’m making to my mindset in order to do so:

1. Stay on top of the things that make YOU feel good.

“Me-time” tends to go on the back-burner during the busy holiday season, but it’s important to not drop the ball on what we know makes us feel great. Make your favorite wellness practices a priority and be sure to indulge regularly. Whether that’s hot water with lemon every morning, mediating, daily probiotics/vitamins/supplements, sweating, limiting alcohol, eating clean, taking hot baths or sleeping 8 hours a night, you MUST prioritize YOU.

2. Plan ahead.

The holidays can get crazy which can lead to all sorts of stress and last-minute shenanigans. If you can avoid that, you’ll be a happier and healthier person. Spend time beforehand, like now, to prep in advance. Some ideas:

Outfits: Plan a few holiday party outfits so that you don’t have a closet tornado when trying to get ready. I love all white combinations, subtle metallics and all black everything with an embellished shoe.

Food: If you have a packed day of holiday shopping and to-do’s, pop a few good snacks in your bag so that you’re not making starving food decisions—we all know those usually end up on the unhealthier side. And secondly, if you know you’re heading to an evening holiday party, spend the earlier part of your day eating healthy so that you have zero guilt when you indulge later.

Gifts: Rushing to a party AND needing to stop at a liquor store for a last-minute bottle of wine gift is an adrenaline burnout, and it adds up. Stock up on hostess gifts so that you never show up empty handed. I like to have a variety of bespoke chocolate bars, cheese boards like this one or this one, pretty platters like this, my favorite cookbooks (such as PLENTY) with a note about the best recipes, a fun cocktail book, wine stoppers, etc.

3. Take time off.

Back-to-back-to-back days and nights during the holidays can wear you down. Consider this your permission to step away from the concentrated family time to go for a walk, take a night off by skipping a holiday party you didn’t realllllly want to go to, or call in sick to get a few extra errands done (or let’s be honest, lay in bed watching your favorite Netflix show. Don’t sick days expire at the end of the year anyway?).

What are your stay sane tips?

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