NEW YORK (AP) — We all know the stressors: Social obligations. Family discord. Political rifts. Financial stress. And the desire to stay cheery and big-hearted throughout.
So here's a reminder about how to banish your inner perfectionist and truly enjoy the holiday season:
“It really helps to let go of some of the ‘shoulds’,” says Lynn F. Bufka, head of practice for the American Psychological Association. “Decide on the one thing that matters most, and the things that bring you the most joy, and let go of other things."
Traditions can shift and change, and the more flexible things are the easier it is for everybody, Bufka says.
“Focus your energy on creating a warm space for the people you love to gather and relax, catch up and celebrate one another. That’s literally all that matters," agrees Lauren Iannotti, editor in chief of Real Simple.
Some tips:
You could decide that conversation is your main goal, and not worry at all about the decor, says Bufka. Or if table decoration is what you love, spend your energy there and don’t worry as much about other aspects.
“Ideally, it should be about focusing on love, and that doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone,” says Bufka.
Don't hesitate to outsource some of that other stuff.
“People want to help — let them!" says Iannotti. “If you don’t LOVE cooking all those sides, or are strapped for time, there is zero shame in accepting your sister’s offer to do the stuffing. Or enlist help from the pros — support a local restaurant by ordering some catering platters.”
A potluck can be your friend.
“Have everyone bring one signature dish," says Ianotti. “You’ll save time and money on prep and cooking and your guests can show off their skills.”
“It’s OK if the house is a little messy or dinner is on the table a few minutes late," says Iannotti. “If the people you’ve invited are more interested in grading your performance than having a good time, they can take that up with their therapist to sort through.”
(They’re not, by the way — “something to maybe take up with your therapist,” she adds.)
And don't hesitate to let people help themselves, when possible. “If you don’t have time to play bartender, create a signature drink ahead of time that can serve all of your guests. You can also just leave out a few mixers so guests can serve themselves and make their own creations,” suggests Caroline Utz, editorial and strategy director at The Spruce.
Things will run well enough if you're not overseeing it all, so take care of yourself. Take breathers or walks if that helps you stay centered.
“Although mindfulness is becoming an overused term in society today, there is something of value we can take from this and apply to the holiday season,” says Brook Choulet, a concierge sports and performance psychiatrist and founder of Choulet Performance Psychiatry.
She recommends “scheduling intentional micro-breaks" to do something you enjoy.
“For example, you may schedule a phone call with a friend out of state, take a 15-minute walk outside, or even set the timer and take a 15-minute bath uninterrupted,” she said.
“If you’re worried about the polarization and getting into uncomfortable conversations, try to think about ways you can end a conversation, or shift it in another direction,” Bufka says.
She recommends preparing a few lines in advance to help end the conversation or shift it in another direction.
So, aiming for a less-than-perfect holiday season may just be the sweet spot.
New York-based writer Katherine Roth covers Lifestyles and other topics regularly for the AP.
For more AP Lifestyles stories, go to https://apnews.com/lifestyle
FILE - People take in the holiday window display at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
A house decorated for the holidays appears in Westchester County, N.Y., on Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Rubin)
(AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)
TOKYO (AP) — Asian benchmarks skidded on Tuesday, as worries grew about ripple effects of President Donald Trump's tariffs on regional economies and companies.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 sank 0.8% to 36,793.11, its lowest close in six months but up from a more than 2% loss earlier in the day.
China's Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% higher, to 3,368.41 as the country's annual national congress prepared to wrap up its annual session with some measures to help boost the slowing economy.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 0.6% to 23,634.20.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.9% to 7,890.10. South Korea's Kospi declined 1.2% to 2,539.94.
“Heightened anxiety surrounds both existing and incoming U.S. tariffs, along with retaliatory measures from trading partners, and China’s newly effective tariffs will continue to weigh on equities,” said Anderson Alves, a trader at ActivTrades.
Also Tuesday, Japan slightly lowered its October-December economic growth rate to an annual rate of 2.2%, revised from the 2.8% growth given last month, because of revisions in consumer spending and private inventories.
The stock fall in Asia echoed a sell-off Monday on Wall Street, where investors are raising questions on how much pain Trump will let the economy endure through tariffs and other policies in order to get what he wants.
The S&P 500 dropped 2.7%, closing 9% below its all-time high, which was set just last month. At one point, the S&P 500 was down 3.6% and on track for its worst day since 2022. That’s when the highest inflation in generations was shredding budgets and raising worries about a possible recession that ultimately never came.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.1%, after paring an earlier loss of more than 1,100, while the Nasdaq composite skidded 4%.
It was the worst day yet in a scary stretch where the S&P 500 has swung more than 1%, up or down, seven times in eight days because of Trump’s on -and- off -again tariffs. The worry is that the whipsaw moves will either hurt the economy directly or create enough uncertainty to drive U.S. companies and consumers into an economy-freezing paralysis.
The economy has already shown some signs of weakening, mostly through surveys showing increased pessimism. And a widely followed collection of real-time indicators compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta suggests the U.S. economy may already be shrinking.
Asked over the weekend whether he was expecting a recession in 2025, Trump told Fox News Channel: “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing.” He then added, “It takes a little time. It takes a little time.”
Trump says he wants to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, among other reasons he’s given for tariffs. His Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has also said the economy may go through a “detox” period as it weans off an addiction to spending by the government. The White House is trying to limit federal spending, while also cutting the federal workforce and increasing deportations, which could hinder the job market.
The U.S. job market is still showing stable hiring at the moment, to be sure, and the economy ended last year running at a solid rate. But economists are marking down their forecasts for how the economy will perform this year.
The worries hitting Wall Street have so far been hurting some of its biggest stars the most. Big Tech stocks and companies that rode the artificial-intelligence frenzy in recent years have slumped sharply.
Nvidia fell another 5.1% Monday to bring its loss for the year so far to more than 20%. It’s a steep drop-off from its nearly 820% surge over 2023 and 2024.
Elon Musk’s Tesla fell 15.4% to deepen its loss for 2025 to 45%. After getting an initial post-election bump on hopes that Musk’s close relationship with Trump would help the electric-vehicle company, the stock has slumped on worries that its brand has become intertwined with Musk. Protests against the U.S. government’s efforts to cull its workforce and other moves have targeted Tesla dealerships, for example.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 9 cents to $66.12 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 18 cents to $69.46 a barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 147.27 Japanese yen from 147.14 yen. The euro cost $1.0862, up from $1.0834.
A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
