The Christmas season is filled with joy, excitement, and festive celebrations—but it can also bring a fair amount of stress. Between the holiday shopping, school events, and family gatherings, it’s easy for both parents and children to feel overwhelmed. At Empower Arts, we understand the challenges that come with the end-of-year hustle and bustle. But we also know that drama can be a powerful tool for managing holiday stress and promoting a sense of calm during this busy time.
Why the Holidays Can Feel Overwhelming
The festive season often comes with high expectations. For children, there’s the excitement of the holidays, but also the pressure to keep up with schoolwork, adapt to changes in routine, and deal with sensory overload from all the decorations, lights, and noise. For parents, it’s easy to become consumed with lists—gifts to buy, events to attend, meals to prepare—and before you know it, stress levels are high.
However, taking a step back and incorporating some simple techniques into your daily routine can help ease the overwhelm and create space for connection and creativity.
How Drama Can Help Kids (and Adults) Manage Overwhelm
At Empower Arts, we’ve seen how drama provides an outlet for emotional expression, relaxation, and fun, all of which are essential for navigating the holiday season. Here are a few ways drama can help children manage holiday stress:
Create a “Holiday Stress-relief game” with Drama Games: Drama games aren’t just for fun—they can also be used to relax and unwind. Incorporating calming exercises into your child’s routine during the holiday season can be a simple but effective way to manage stress. Try creating a calming ritual, such as deep breathing while mimicking animal movements (like stretching like a cat or flapping wings like a bird). These playful activities help children focus on their breath and calm their bodies, making it easier to relax.
Storytelling to Reflect on the Year: Storytelling is a powerful way to process emotions and reflect on experiences. Encourage your child to tell a Christmas story or create a holiday-themed play. This gives them the opportunity to work through their feelings of excitement or stress by placing them into a fictional narrative. It can also help children express their thoughts on the year past and what they hope for in the year ahead.
Mindful Moments through Drama: Incorporating mindfulness practices into drama can help children slow down and become more present. A great way to do this, is by doing “body scans” where children imagine scanning their bodies from head to toe, releasing tension as they go. You can practice this at home with your children, guiding them to focus on how each part of their body feels. This technique is great for managing overwhelm, especially when emotions run high during the festive season.
Using Role Play to Explore Holiday Emotions: The holidays bring up many emotions—joy, anticipation, but also frustration or disappointment when things don’t go as planned. Role-playing different holiday scenarios, such as a Christmas dinner with family or a visit from Santa, helps children explore and manage those emotions in a safe and creative way. You can even incorporate "What if?" questions: "What if your Christmas tree fell over?" or "What if you didn't get the present you wanted?" These playful scenarios allow children to express themselves and gain control over situations that might otherwise feel overwhelming.
Foster Routine Through Drama: The disruption of routine during the holidays can leave children feeling unsettled. While school breaks are an exciting time, the lack of structure can add stress. Drama classes provide a structured, predictable environment that gives children something familiar to look forward to. Whether it’s attending your drama class or engaging in a daily creative activity at home, maintaining a sense of routine can reduce anxiety.
Simple Techniques for Parents to Manage Stress During the Holidays
Parents, we know how overwhelming the holidays can be for you too! Here are a few tips to help you manage your stress during the busy season:
Set Realistic Expectations: The pressure to make everything perfect during the holidays can lead to unnecessary stress. Let go of perfection and focus on what really matters: spending quality time with your family. Set realistic goals and take breaks when you need them.
Encourage “Quiet Time”: With all the excitement, don’t forget to build in some quiet time for everyone. Schedule moments where everyone in the family can unwind, whether it’s through reading a book, watching a Christmas movie, or doing a simple craft. These moments of calm can help manage stress and restore energy.
Incorporate Family Drama Playtime: Make time for fun family activities that encourage creativity and connection, like putting on a mini play or creating a holiday-themed improv game. These simple activities can foster laughter and joy, giving you a chance to bond and release stress together.
Ask for Help: Remember, it’s okay to ask for help. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with holiday preparations, consider reaching out to friends, family, or asking your neighbour. Don’t try to do it all yourself!
Ending the Year with Calm and Joy
As we reflect on the year at Empower Arts, we’re so proud of the growth and creativity we’ve seen from our students. The holidays can be a challenging time, but with a little bit of creativity and a few stress-relief techniques, we can help our children—and ourselves—make it through with a sense of calm and joy.
Looking for a Fun and Stress-Free Way to Celebrate the Holidays?
We know the holiday season can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve created the perfect opportunity for parents to get some time back while their children enjoy festive fun!
Christmas Fun Day: Monday, 23rd December, 2:30–6:30 PM – the perfect time for last-minute Christmas shopping or simply relaxing while your child enjoys drama games, dancing, arts and crafts and festive activities!
Winter Camp: 30th and 31st December, 2nd and 3rd January, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Join us for our Kids Winter Camp, where your child can stay engaged with drama, baking, creativity, and fun over the festive break.
Spaces are limited, so book now to secure your spot for both events and make this holiday season stress-free for both you and your child
Wishing you all a peaceful and happy holiday season!
Other related posts you might enjoy:
Comments