5 Tips For a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

Planning, practice and preparedness are a few ways not to let the holiday overwhelm you.

Anyone who’s invited loved ones over for Thanksgiving knows how stressful it can be to prepare a holiday meal for friends and family and be an attentive host while doing so. But hosting a holiday meal doesn’t have to lead to an anxiety attack. Avoid a holiday meltdown by planning out your meal beforehand and getting plenty of help in the process.

Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute: If you don’t want your guests to walk into a house of chaos on Thanksgiving, don’t procrastinate. Make sure food is prepared before your guests arrive. You can even cook some items the night before Thanksgiving. The same goes for yourself and your home. Pick out your Thanksgiving outfit before the holiday. Likewise for your children. Don’t try to rearrange the furniture in your home or get rid of clutter as your guests are strolling in. Take care of this beforehand.

Practice: Cooking a dish you’ve never prepared before? Don’t turn your guests into guinea pigs. Practice making the food before the big day so no cooking mishaps ruin your meal on Thanksgiving. Knowing you have perfected the dish before you serve it will give you a boost of confidence once you place the food in front of friends and family on the holiday.

Delegate: Disabuse yourself of the notion that you have to take on all the responsibilities for your holiday event. As the poet John Donne said, no man is an island. Ask your family members to help set the table or get your house in order before the guests arrive. Ask your guests to contribute a dish, drink or dessert to lighten your load.

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Prepare for Mistakes: Everyone wants Thanksgiving to go smoothly, but that doesn’t mean you should expect perfection. Mistakes will happen. A dish might turn out to be overcooked, a child might spill a drink on the floor, family members might bicker. Shrug it off. Holidays wouldn’t be memorable if they all unfolded like Norman Rockwell paintings.

Reflect on the Holiday: As you’re hustling and bustling to ensure your holiday meal is a smash, stop and reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving. Remember what you’re grateful for and why.

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