meQ Tip: How to Manage End of Year Stress

For many of us, the end of the year happens to be one of the busiest times of the year. To-do lists are loaded with project deadlines, performance reviews, holiday parties, family gatherings, and personal and professional demands.

Heightened stress levels can leave you feeling more frantic than festive. And the impact can contribute to sleep problems, depression, and other health conditions, according to researchers. It also can batter your immune system, making you more susceptible to cold and flu viruses.

You can’t just erase the end of the year from your calendar (nor would you want to). The key is to stay resilient—and in control. These five tried-and-true methods will help you manage the mounting stress, feel healthier, and hopefully enjoy some of the year-end festivities.

1. Ease Expectations

Determine what you want and need to do in order to feel calm and successful. Then let go of the things that don’t support those goals. This will require dropping unnecessary feelings of guilt and perfectionism and making conscious choices to meet your personal needs, Greenberg says. That can be hard to do. But, in the long run, you’ll have more energy and focus to complete the activities you care most about—and that’s better for everyone.

2. Pump in the Fun

Put fun on your calendar—literally. Maybe you want to make holiday cookies with the kids, coordinate a potluck lunch for co-workers, or hit the ski slopes one Saturday morning. Great! Schedule it before other activities get in the way and honor it as you would any other obligation. When you make room (and time) for the things you love, the end-of-the-year hustle and bustle will take on greater meaning.

3. Manage Your Mindset

Replace phrases like “This is horrible” or “I’ll never finish,” with more realistic statements like “This is unfortunate” or “It might take awhile, but I’ll get it done.” Then look for ways to reframe the experience. Ask yourself how you’ll feel about your current situation in the future, be it five minutes, five months, or five years from now. Remember, Winner says, that some of the most difficult moments will also become the funny stories you tell in the years to come. “If it will be funny later,” he advises, “laugh now.”

4. Schedule Time for Self-Care

Make time for self-care breaks, even if they are small, throughout the day. Take a longer morning shower. Use your lunch break for a short walk. Add some quick and easy movement breaks, such as doing a few stretches, to your day. Pack a healthy lunch and snacks to keep your energy and spirits up. Take a minute to clear your mind with a quick meditation. When you think of self-care as a foundation for feeling calmer, you'll be less stressed and better prepared for end-of-year activities.