Worried About Holiday Stress? Use These 10 Mantras to Overcome

The holidays are a time for holly, cheer, and most likely, holiday stress. While spending time with family and friends, the chaos and expectations can be overwhelming. 

Check out these mantras, phrases you can repeat like an affirmation, that can help get you through the holidays with a leveled head.

What Are Mantras

Mantras are similar to affirmations. They are a sound, words, or phrases used in meditation or day to day life to increase concentration.

Having a powerful mantra on your side can help invoke feelings of peace, which is especially useful for holiday stress.

What is Holiday Stress

Holiday stress comes from a number of sources. Traveling is always stressful, especially in current years, and there’s always worry that comes with it. From losing luggage to bringing a virus home to the family, traveling is a huge source of holiday stress.

Another source is a misalignment of expectations vs reality when it comes to the holidays. Our expectations may be a picture perfect holiday whereas in reality Uncle Steve always fights with your Dad and the cousins can’t be in the same room without throwing hands.

Fear of the unknown, going to a different place, uniting cultures, and much more are all sources of stress that need to be managed during the holidays.

10 Mantras to Get You Through Holiday Stress 

Here are 10 mantras that can help get you through the holidays!

1. I will speak with confidence and self-assurance.

Practicing confidence is key to feeling and acting more confident in any situation, especially in stressful holiday gatherings.

2. I feel very grateful for [1 to 3 things] this holiday season.

Counting your blessings has the ability to increase your happiness exponentially. When you take things for granted, they stop bringing you joy. Make a mantra that focuses on what you can appreciate and what you are grateful for to improve your mood.

3. I am able to set boundaries that make me happy and safe.

Setting boundaries is incredibly important for your own wellbeing and safety. Setting boundaries allow you to place energy into things and events that matter to you while giving you the option to say no.

4. I accept people for who they are without judgment. 

Sometimes, we have to accept that people will not change. It’s not always easy, but there are people stuck in their ways and your words will not change their minds.

Accept what you cannot change, but remember, you do not have to give your time and energy to individuals who make you feel less than. Use those boundaries to excuse yourself when needed and say no.

5. I forgive those who have hurt me during the holiday season.

Forgiving does not mean forgetting or ignoring the pain of the past. Forgiving is for yourself and only for yourself. When you forgive, you start to live in the present as opposed to the past.

6. I am able to be flexible and spontaneous.

This mantra is vital, especially if you have plans to travel, or are going to an unfamiliar place for the holidays. Allow yourself to be flexible when needed, creative, and spontaneous.

7. I am compassionate, loving, accepting, and sympathetic to family and friends.

Sometimes, we forget to put ourselves in others’ shoes. We may want everything done a certain way without thinking of others. Use this mantra to channel compassion, care, and love this holiday season toward all your loved ones.

8. I am able to stay calm in large social gatherings.

Have social anxiety? Feel introverted? Do large groups sap your energy? It happens, especially during the holiday season. Use this mantra to center yourself to the best of your abilities. 

9. I am able to enjoy the foods and drinks I love in moderation.

One common fitness mistake people make is restriction. When you restrict your favorite foods, you tend to overindulge and binge on them the first chance you get. So step one, don’t restrict yourself too much during the year. Follow an 80/20 rule for eating, in which you eat healthy 80% of the time while being able to treat yourself for the other 20%

10. I give myself permission to enjoy treating myself this holiday season.

Honestly, life is too short to not have a slice of your aunt’s homemade pie. You will remember the food you did not try, so give yourself permission with this mantra to enjoy the foods that are considered treats.

The Takeaway

Try out these mantras for a boost in mood and relaxation this holiday season! Use as many of these mantras as you’d like to really keep calm, cool, and collected.

Remember that health starts from within. There are small habits you can begin today that have a huge impact on your health tomorrow. Move daily, nourish your body, and take care of gut health. 

Did you know about 90% of serotonin is made in the gut? That’s the chemical responsible for happiness and mood. Gut health even affects muscle toning, skin health, and metabolism, so check out these free resources to fix gut health easily today!