Finding Calm In Chaotic Seasons: Practical Tips For Stress And Overwhelm

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Why the “Joyful” Season Can Feel Stressful?
Holidays and year-end celebrations are often painted as joyful occasions. Yet behind the festive lights, many people struggle with stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Financial pressure, family dynamics, and social obligations can leave us feeling drained rather than delighted. Add external stressors like election season or major deadlines, and the weight can feel heavier than ever.

Example: A parent juggling holiday shopping, family gatherings, and work deadlines may find themselves snapping at loved ones-not because they don’t care, but because their stress has quietly built up.

Understanding Overwhelm During Busy Times:
When responsibilities pile up quickly, it’s easy to feel like everything is urgent. This leads to mental clutter, poor focus, and heightened irritability. Overwhelm often comes from reacting to demands instead of proactively managing them. Example: If you only start planning gifts or travel at the last minute, the pressure multiples. But with a proactive mindset, you can anticipate challenges instead of scrambling to fix them.

Mastering ...
... Time Management and Planning:
The first step to reclaiming calm is learning to prioritize and plan wisely.

Focus On What Truly Matters: Not every task is equally important. Applying the 80/20 rule helps spend energy on the 20% of tasks that deliver 80% of the results.
Example: Instead of perfecting gift wrapping for hours, focus on meaningful connections with loved ones.
Break Tasks into Small Steps: Large tasks often feel overwhelming. Breaking them into smaller, achievable steps builds confidence and momentum.
Example: Instead of tackling an entire project in one go, commit to finishing the first draft ir making a checklist today.
Use Smart Scheduling: Time-blocking-assigning specific time slots to activities-reduces decision fatigue. Planning your day the night before brings clarity and lowers stress.
Example: Blocking 30 minutes for emails prevents them from eating into hours of your workday.
Protecting Work-Life Balance:
Busy seasons don’t have to mean abandoning your well-being.

Set Boundaries without guilt: Saying “no” is essential. Declining extra commitments can protect your energy and prevent burnout. Example: Choosing not to attend a fourth holiday party allows you to rest and recharge.
Take Breaks and Avoid Perfectionism: Productivity isn’t about constant work-it’s about working effectively. Short breaks and letting go of perfection can help you sustain energy. Example: A five-minute walk outdoors can reset your focus better than forcing yourself to power through exhaustion.
Building Sustainable Habits:
Peak seasons come and go, but the habits you build can serve you all year. Reflect on what worked well and where you struggled. With every cycle, you can refine your strategies and approach the next busy period with more resilience. Stress is an inevitable part of life, but how we respond to it makes the difference. By planning ahead, setting boundaries, and prioritizing well-being, you can turn chaos into clarity.

At ImPerfect, we help individuals and corporations to navigate these challenges with evidence-based therapeutic support. If you find yourself struggling to cope or your organization’s employee is barely able to make it to the end of the season, reaching out for help can be the first best step towards balance and peace of mind.

During your next busy season, will you allow stress to lead or will you take the driver’s seat?

By Krupa Abraham and Urveez Kakalia.

Reference:

https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/news/keeping-your-calm-during-stressful-seasons
https://cabbrix-usa.com/blogs/news/5-simple-tips-for-tackling-overwhelm-in-peak-season?srsltid=AfmBOopg0wMK4k2Tpqem6HTR5O2C-yvvhaEhqMGwMu-HFLHbSWKPajXw
Further Readings:

Penn, H. J., Gerlach, S. C., & Loring, P. A. (2016). Seasons of stress: understanding the dynamic nature of people’s ability to respond to change and surprise. Weather, Climate, and Society, 8(4), 435-446.

Bermejo-Casado, I., de Quevedo, G. C. G., & Sánchez-Bayón, A. (2017). Stress and burnout syndrome in event management in the communication agencies business. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 72, 1394-1417.

Kute, S. B. Sport Psychophysiology and Peak Performance of Stress Management.