244 Reclaim Your Christmas: Practical Tips for a Stress-Less Holiday Season!

Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

Episode summary:

Tired of the holiday hustle? Ditch the overwhelm and rediscover the joy of the season! In this podcast episode replay, Scott and I share practical ways to reduce stress and enjoy a more relaxed Christmas. Learn how to simplify traditions, manage expectations, and focus on what truly matters. You can enjoy a restful, relaxing holiday! Join us for how!

Quotables from the episode:

So much of our stress at Christmas comes from several key areas:

• Keeping tradition for tradition sake
• People pleasing
• Unrealistic & often unvoiced expectations of ourselves and others
• Trying to prove something to someone (or yourself)

It’s easy to talk about Christmas and refocusing on Christ at Christmas but what does that look like?

• Resting in His presence
• Spending time with The Gift (Jesus) and The Gift Giver (Our Heavenly Father)
• Letting Him take care of us
• Trading in our to-do list for rest
• Recognizing what the busyness means/truly reflects

Practical Tips for Stressing Less This Christmas:

• Let each family member choose ONE kind of cookie to be baked and let them help make them
• Let the lights on the tree, and Christmas cards received, be the tree decorations
• Let the wrapping of the gifts be the love with which they were purchased
• Make the Christmas dinner be comprised of each family member’s favorite dish
• Consider catering the Christmas meal
• Resolve to be okay with paper plates and napkins so you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the people you love

A hope-filled perspective for a less stressful Christmas:

• God doesn’t put these heavy burdens on us
• God invites us into His rest, not for Him but for our benefit
• God offers us the chance to choose His rest, but He doesn’t force us
• Fewer expectations means fewer disappointments

Scripture References:

• Luke 10:41-42 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
• Hebrews 4:1 “God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it…”

Recommended Resources:

• Feeling Down this Holiday Season? Break Free from Unmet Expectations
• How To Get Organized and Simplify Your Christmas Holidays – Episode 189
• Putting REST in the Christmas Holiday RUSH
• Focusing on What’s Important to Reduce Holiday Stress – Episode 140
• 9 Tips for Handling Family Conflict and Stress During the Holidays
• How to Let Go of the Anxiety and Overwhelm of the Holiday Season – Episode 139
• Ways to Create a More Peaceful Christmas
• Quit Striving for the Picture Perfect Christmas
• When Doing Less is Actually Doing More at Christmas
• How to Relieve Stress This Christmas
• What I Really Want This Christmas
• Content at Christmas
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• YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms
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• YouVersion 7-Day Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day
• YouVersion 7-Day Devotional, Today is Going to be Another Good Day
• Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
• Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide
• Free 7-Day YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip
• Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award
• Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award
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• Subdue Stress and Anxiety: Fifteen Experts Offer Comprehensive Tools in Ten Minutes a Day. Use my link plus discount code BENG99 to save $90 on course (course will be $99.)
• Free Download: How To Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win

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Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson