Top 5 Tips For A Stress-free Thanksgiving Dinner Party

By Marie Ynami

People always stress out especially during the holidays. The holiday rush gets everyone frazzled. Perhaps part of this is because people want a "perfect" holiday. Is it possible to have a "perfect" holiday? I do not know about that but what I do know is that there are some things we can all do to make the Thanksgiving celebration less stressful. Below are some tips I would like to share to help you overcome stress during the busy holiday season:

1. Have a plan - Plan your Thanksgiving menu. Make a list of ingredients you need to help you when you go shopping. Plan out how you will prepare the food. It would also help to recruit help. You should not do all the hard work. Recruiting help could be fun for everyone and will certainly make the preparation easier and quicker for everyone.

2. Think potluck - If you are hosting the Thanksgiving dinner at your house, why not plan for a potluck. This would be great because you will not have to slave in the kitchen to prepare all the food for your Thanksgiving feast. Have every family bring a dish but make sure to assign who brings side dishes and desserts and perhaps you can take care of the main dish.

3. Make it easy - Who says Thanksgiving needs to be elaborate? You can still enjoy the Thanksgiving feast with simple foods. Simple foods can taste really good. Remember, what matters most is that you are together as a family. You do not have to have tons and tons of food - make your menu simple - have a main dish and a couple of side dishes and a dessert. Prepare easy to cook dishes. Use disposable plates, cups and utensils. This will make clean up so much easier.

4. Keep your cool - it can get really stressful when trying to plan a successful Thanksgiving dinner party. Sure, you cannot please everyone but if you notice the stress level going up take a step back and take a deep breath. Clearing your head will help you deal with stress so much better. The same goes for family members who can drive each other crazy. If you are in charge of the family Thanksgiving dinner, make sure that family members who do not get along - do not sit next to each other at the dinner table. This will help avoid family confrontations and tensions.

5. Don't forget to be thankful - Simply remembering the things that we are blessed with and being thankful will help minimize stress. Reflect back and make a list of everything you are thankful for. You could even have a list ready where guests can write down what they are thankful for as they arrive to your party. Just before dinner starts, you can read aloud what is written in the list and perhaps say a "Thank You" prayer. This would be a nice tradition that can be passed down for generations to come.

The holidays do not have to mean "STRESS". Plan ahead, relax, have fun and enjoy the festivities - it can be a fun Thanksgiving Holiday. All you have to do is apply the tips mentioned here and you can almost guarantee a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner party.