A recent Healthline survey measured holiday stress which showed that an overwhelming majority of respondents are seriously stressed during the holiday season. Though we strive to stay cool, calm and collected during these next few months, it isn’t unusual to feel the significance of the holiday season weighing on your shoulders. For many, this is a time packed with family and friends traveling across the country to visit one another. This also means more preparation needs to be done prior to their arrival, such as cleaning, grocery shopping, and organizing your home.

The fact is that if you procrastinate on these items, you’ll likely end up even more anxiety ridden. Your guests are looking forward to spending their holidays with you in your home, so it is important to cater to their needs and anticipate any ancillary requests they may have as your houseguest. To help you stay calm during this time, we’ve compiled a holiday game plan to help you stay organized and productive during this season.

1. Tackle the guest room first. Obviously there is a hierarchy of the cleanest spaces in the house, but if you know you’re having overnight guests, their room should come first. Take out any personal clothing to accommodate guests’ things. Be sure to wash linen with hypoallergenic cleaning solution, that way you avoid any allergy flare ups with sensitive guests, as well as using down feather pillows. Assemble a toiletry basket filled with anything your guests may forget. Deep clean all guest bathroom surfaces with a multipurpose cleaner. Use a seasonal scent such as pine to festively freshen up the place. Just as you would in a hotel room, be sure to sanitize any remote controls and light switch panels in the room.
2. Send out a dietary checklist. With today’s laundry list of food allergens, it’s smart to obtain a list of all dietary needs and food allergies before you plan your holiday meal. Many people have a gluten allergy, so it is important to understand who among your guest list needs to be accommodated. Additionally, knowing what guests like to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks may also cut down time running back and forth to the grocery store.
3. Organize an itinerary for free-time. Because you have guests coming in from out of town, it’s important to make their trip as memorable as possible. One good way to keep on a “schedule” and host a stress-free visit is to build an itinerary of experiences and places to go while guests stay with you. Anticipating the desires of your guests will keep you on track for a fun holiday visit. Maybe they’d like to visit a museum or eat at your best, local pizza joint; either way, you’ve organized it ahead of time!

Hosting a stress-free holiday may not be 100% attainable, but with the proper prep work and understanding the needs of your guests, you will find that all your hard work will pay off in the end. Don’t forget to send out a schedule of the holiday festivities to your guests as well and always use microfiber towels when cleaning and dusting spaces. If you follow this simple game plan, you will find yourself spending less time stressing and more time enjoying your guests and the holiday season!