The best way to set yourself up for a stress free, fun-filled holiday is to create a list of things to do, but absolutely DO NOT try to do everything yourself. This is especially true if you’re the one hosting an event.

Have your guests bring something to add to the gathering, whether it’s food, party supplies, drinks, games, etc. In addition, do your best to shop online rather than in physical stores for gifts. This will save you a ton of time and frustration that may result from dealing with poor service or not finding the items you want. On that note, make sure you avoid using credit cards. If you do, make sure you pay off the balance immediately. You can’t buy things with money you don’t have and being in debt is a surefire way to add stress.

To give your holiday party an extra kick, try inviting someone new each year rather than just the usual group of people (whether they’re family members or friends). The more the merrier and bringing in a new face can help break any potential monotony. Just remember to keep everyone else on their best behavior since they don’t have the same comfort level with this new person as you do! Making new friends and connections is a great way to relieve stress, especially in a setting where you can just be yourself and not worry about business and work.

When the holiday party closes out, if you’re the host, try to get some people to help out with cleaning. This means clearing tables, tossing out the trash and wrapping up food and drinks. It’s no good if all the cleanup duties are left for you to tackle alone. Of course, you shouldn’t demand that everyone helps you clean up, but usually a few will volunteer their services anyway.

 

Written by: Ian Aronovich, CEO/Co-founder, GovernmentAuctions.org

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About the Author:

Ian Aronovich is the CEO of GovernmentAuctions.org, a site that compiles and provides information about government auctions of seized and surplus merchandise from all over the country.