The holiday season has arrived. Do these words bring warmth to your heart or strike fear into your bones? It seems as if every year the season arrives sooner; making us partake or panic for longer. How are you feeling? Navigating this holiday season may feel like a never ending labyrinth, but with our easy tips you can keep your head above holiday water. 

Decide What’s Important

Are you someone who appreciates a live tree? Do you enjoy caroling? Do you look forward to one particular dish? Make decisions on a few events/activities/meals that make your holiday season special to you. The pressure of the holidays can make us compromise with family members or friends, but holding a few traditions close to the chest can make those compromises worth it. 

Stop Last Minute Buying

Gift giving should be a fun event, not a contest to see who can spend the most. Ads will run and sales will be advertised, designed to guilt trip consumers into frantic trips to their nearest department store. These last minute visits are often coupled with anxiety, impatience, and sometimes rage. Try your best to avoid the pitfalls by reducing screen time in the finals days before the holidays. If that fails, Amazon Prime has express shipping; keep your sanity with 2-day delivery.

Say No

The holiday season can bring many invites, potlucks, cookie bakes and white elephant parties. These can be wonderful experiences that bring together a group of friends, but they can also be commitments to cook, buy, or drink more than you would like. Learn that saying no can be the key to saving your sanity. Prioritize your events, where do you truly want to divide your time? Cut down on attending events that leave you feeling alienated or overwhelmed. Connect with the host as well, there are always opportunities to spend time after the holidays, and they will understand the feeling. 

Stick to Routine

We can all agree that our usual routines will be thrown out of whack when the holidays roll around. Eating clean and working out tend to fall by the wayside. This year, try something different, stick to your routine as much as possible. There are clever ways to fit in exercise even when traveling. The boost in mental clarity partnered with better sleep will help you stay sane this holiday season.

Save Money Where You Can

Hopefully your holiday budget is staying somewhat intact; give yourself even more leeway by saving money on utilities. As the temperature drops, heating costs will naturally rise. Offset this Winter cost by price checking natural gas companies. Kratos consistently offers some of the lowest prices in the state and can save customers hundreds of dollars a year!

Even if you are overwhelmed already, these tips can help you re-center your holiday cheer. End your 2019 with excitement and joy instead of exhaustion. From Kratos Gas & Power, we wish everyone a happy holiday season!