By Leslie Josel

The holidays are typically a time of joy, happiness, and lots of family togetherness. But for some children, this time of the year may bring on feelings of stress and anxiety. After all, even parents get stressed during the holiday season! And there is quite a bit to feel anxious about these days. Here are a few strategies that can ease your child’s anxiety and help them enjoy the festivities.

Stick to Routines: Children are easily overstimulated during the holidays. The hustle and bustle, extra sweets and treats, and stressed-out parents can quickly lead to an overly anxious child. Children thrive with consistency and predictability so try to stick to normal routines as much as possible.

Sweat It Out—In the Fresh Air: One of the best ways to relieve stress and anxiety is to exercise!  Make sure that your kids are getting plenty of physical activity—and join them! Get the endorphins flowing by going outside for a walk, doing a scavenger hunt, sledding, having snowball fights, shooting hoops…the possibilities are endless.  

Play Family Connection Games: Not the outdoorsy type but want to get the family moving?  No worries—we have you covered with plenty of fun games that will get everyone moving indoors too! Try a little indoor dodgeball game with Throw, Throw Burrito, or enjoy a family dance-off with Just Dance. Family bonding has never been so fun. For even more family game and activity ideas, visit our Amazon Holiday Gift Guide HERE.

Schedule In Downtime: Having downtime is just as important as staying active. Even a short break from the action can help children relax and recharge. Help them find a quiet place away from all of the holiday noise and busyness, so they can decompress. Maybe they need a quick walk outside, quiet time in their room, or listen to music on their headphones for a bit. Whatever it may be, help them find what they need to feel less overwhelmed.

Don’t Do Perfect: Do enough. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to make the holidays perfect, but it’s more important not to lose focus on what matters. Kids will remember the little things and how you made them feel, more than anything else.  So slow down, enjoy the moments, and don’t focus on trying to make everything perfect!

Leslie Josel is the Principal of  Order Out of Chaos, an organizing consulting firm specializing in student organizing. She is the author of several books, including the recently published How to Do It Now…Because It’s Not Going Away, as well as the creator of the award-winning Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management.