Remember when you were a kid and the holiday season only meant three things? Candy, yummy food, and presents! As we get older and our families grow, our responsibilities increase in all areas of our lives, the holidays are no exception. Let’s talk about 11 simple ways to reduce stress this Thanksgiving so you can actually relax and enjoy yourself.
I remember a Thanksgiving back when I was about 20 years old. I’ve already been living on my own for 2 years and yet, when I asked what I could bring to dinner, I was laughed at.
My mom actually said this.
“Honey, I know you can’t cook,( true, but not the point) so just bring napkins.”
Napkins!
I was so insulted.
But you know that pesky hindsight? Well yeah, she was absolutely right. If she’d asked me to bring sweet potato casserole, I’d have probably had a panic attack.
So back then, even though I was an adult, the holidays didn’t cause me too much added stress, well not Thanksgiving. Christmas was a whole other story. Me trying to figure out how to afford all the gifts I want to buy people, ugh!
Nowadays though, we almost always host Thanksgiving dinner at our house, making it a super stressful holiday.
Why is Thanksgiving stressful?
Think about all that has to go into hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. guest list, menu planning, shopping, cleaning your house, cooking all that food and hoping it actually tastes good, and figuring out how to entertain your guests while they wait.
I mean none of that sounds stressful right? It’s not supposed to be this way.
Read on to discover ways you can not only take some of the burdens off yourself but actually be able to sit back and enjoy the whole reason for this holiday. Gratitude and Thankfulness. So let’s get to it
11 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress This Thanksgiving
Lucky for you, you’re reading this which means, you’re about to learn some simple ways to reduce stress this Thanksgiving and make it the best one yet.
- Plan your menu way ahead of time. make it a good mix of easy recipes, difficult recipes, and ready-made items. Don’t shy away from ready-made items, no one’s going to care if you make rolls from scratch or buy the frozen ones.
- Double-check your recipes when you’re making your shopping list. Even if you’re making a recipe you’ve made a hundred times before, make sure you double-check the ingredients. This way when you go shopping you won’t forget anything.
- Assign one food item to each guest to bring. this will help reduce the amount of preparation and shopping that you’ll need to do. This will also cut out your costs which can really help with your holiday budget.
- Cut and prep or cook anything that can be done ahead of time such as, cutting up vegetables and bread for stuffing, baking your pies, cookies, and rolls, as well as casseroles.
- Make sure your kitchen is clean and free of clutter and that you have all the necessary tools at hand
- Wash as you go. don’t leave all the dishes till the end then you’re going to feel super overwhelmed Plus you’ll likely find that you need that measuring cup for another recipe anyway.
- Don’t experiment or try new recipes now is not the time. This is a “ recipe” for disaster. if you really want to try a new recipe make sure that you test it out a few weeks beforehand to make sure it’s what you’re looking for.
- Shop early for your pantry items, then make another trip for your perishables a couple of days before Thanksgiving. This will help ease some of the strain from doing a long shopping trip.
- Set out all your ingredients and tools before you begin making a dish. This will help you determine that you have everything you need for the recipe that you’re making before you get started.
- Get help. Ask your family members to help you with things like setting the table clearing the table after the meal doing dishes and helping you with entertainment. Just because you can do it all yourself, doesn’t mean you should.
- Speaking of entertainment, give your guests something to do to occupy them while you’re putting the finishing touches on dinner. We have just the thing to help you out with this, it’s our Thanksgiving activity packet and you can buy it right here in our shop.
There you have it 11 simple ways to reduce stress this Thanksgiving and for any other holiday meal too. Now take a moment to imagine yourself sitting down with your guests and enjoying their company. Think about all you have to be thankful for including these tips that made it all possible this year.
Do you have a favorite skip for reducing your stress when hosting a party? Leave a comment below and share your best tips with us we’d love to hear it.
Looking for more like this?
You can read all about our Thanksgiving Activity Packet here.
Wanna host an Ugly Christmas party this year? We’ve got everything you need to make that happen, plus these 11 Ways to Reduce Stress This Thanksgiving will work for that get together too! Need to grab yourself an ugly sweater? These ones are awesome!
Are you interested in learning other ways you can reduce stress levels in your everyday life? Check out this post A Simple Solution to Self-Care – Monthly Calendars
Happy Holidays!
What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?