The holiday season is fast approaching, bringing with it a wave of stress for many. According to recent studies, a significant number of individuals in the United States report experiencing anxiety during this festive period. Factors such as financial pressures contribute to this stress, but there’s also a laundry list of holiday-related tasks—ranging from picking out gifts to wrapping them, ensuring timely shipping, and preparing the home for an influx of visitors. The reality is, maintaining a festive spirit can be challenging when the calendar is crammed with chores.

One effective way to reduce this holiday chaos is to delegate responsibilities. Hiring professionals to handle those mundane yet necessary tasks can offer you the invaluable gift of time. Catering your holiday gatherings might be one of the most straightforward methods to reclaim some peace amidst the frenzy, but there are numerous additional tasks that can be outsourced.

If a cleaning service is not already part of your routine, consider employing one temporarily. Many cleaning companies are willing to provide a one-time service, and some, like Merry Maids, offer specialized holiday packages designed to prepare your home for entertaining guests. Although the average fee for a house cleaner might be a few hundred dollars, this investment can save you considerable time and effort.

The task of wrapping presents is infamous for being tedious. Even those who are skilled at it often find it mundane, while the potential for paper cuts and mental fatigue looms. A long list of gifts means extensive wrapping, so why not hire someone to take care of this? You could enlist a friend or neighbor who excels at wrapping in exchange for a fee or a small favor. Alternatively, platforms like TaskRabbit or professional services like Nifty Package offer convenient options, with some wrappers even consulting on styles. Many professional services provide pickup and delivery, making your life even easier.

Before wrapping a gift, the initial step is to select and purchase it—which often requires significant mental effort and creativity in choosing suitable gifts for your recipients. Fortunately, assistance is readily available; you can hire a personal shopper. These professionals can recommend gifts tailored to your list and typically handle the purchasing, wrapping, and delivery process. This service does come with a cost, often ranging from $120 to $200 per hour, but companies like Poppy Gifting can manage the entire gifting experience for you.

Transforming your home with holiday decorations can be overwhelming and stressful, especially if you live in a competitive neighborhood with festive displays. This is an excellent chance to outsource the task—services are available for hiring individuals or companies like Home Depot to hang lights, decorate homes, or even deliver a Christmas tree directly to your doorstep. Considering that a recent survey found that people spend an average of one full week preparing decorations, this can prove to be a genuine lifesaver.

Sending holiday cards is a charming tradition, but the process of crafting them—writing messages, addressing envelopes, and adding postage—can be laborious. Fortunately, outsourcing this task is incredibly simple. Numerous services, such as Postable, Snapfish, and even Walgreens, allow users to design cards, provide addresses, and let them handle all logistical details.

If any gifts require assembly, it’s beneficial to ensure they’re ready to unveil when the gift is opened. You can either spend countless hours deciphering assembly instructions yourself or hire assistance. Companies like LoadUp facilitate toy assembly, sending professionals to your home to set everything up, including video game consoles, ensuring a smooth experience as festivities take center stage.

If your holiday shopping consists of high-demand items that are notoriously difficult to obtain, prepare for long waits. Fortunately, a new trend has emerged, offering individuals the opportunity to hire people to stand in line on their behalf. This service has gained traction as a full-fledged industry, and investing in such help can justify its cost. It allows you to acquire sought-after toys, tickets, or sneakers while saving valuable hours that could be spent enjoying the holiday festivities instead.