Party-planning stress is an unfortunate reality in today’s world, and many hosts are able to conceal their anxieties so well, that guests automatically assume everything is just fine behind the scenes.

However, when you host a party, you're likely worrying about things that can go wrong, such as, how to handle the situation if not enough ― or too many ― guests show up, as well as worrying about the quality and quantity of refreshments, entertainment, decorations and all the other details that can make or break an event. All of these worries may lead to guests having a good time, but may leave you too stressed and exhausted to enjoy it yourself.

Anyone dealing with this anxiety knows that once you start thinking about all of the possibilities involved with hosting a party, it’s difficult to stop the flow of unknowns.

Here are 7 tips to help you overcome party hosting anxiety

1. Overthinking - Resist as much as possible!

While it’s never a bad idea to prepare for things that may not quite go as planned at your event, this philosophy can easily cross the line into overthinking, which can cause you to become distracted from the things you actually need to do.

2. Be flexible when it comes to activities

A good party of any size may have a variety of activities going on to keep guests interested and engaged. It’s tempting to fill each moment with things to do, but creating a rigid timeline that the military would be proud of, is not the way to go. This may not work for a more casual event, like a birthday party. A good mix of people, music, and food/drink , is enough to get your party flowing nicely. As people loosen up, play it by ear... suggest activities you have in mind, and see which are most appealing to your guests.

3. Don’t worry too much about seating arrangements

Seating arrangements are another aspect of party planning that can cause anxiety that most guests don’t care about. Unless it’s a formal banquet where experienced event personnel are involved, worrying about seating arrangements may cause more trouble than it’s worth. Consider other ways for people to get to know each other than requiring them to sit next to someone specific.

4. Err on the side of caution on your guest count

The other thing people stress about is, “what is the actual number of people that will show up? This can also consume your time if you think about it too much. As a general rule of thumb, go with a count of 80% of your total invites. This assume 20% of the invitee’s (plus or minus) will not show. If you want to err on the side of caution, use 85% for estimating for food and drinks.

5. Make 2 to do lists

Make one to do list that covers the general things that need to get done, and the other to do list for things that have a tendency to stress you out. Why, you ask ? You’ll see in the next tip.

6. Get help

After you have listed the stressful and non-stressful items, send them out to family and friends. You can share just your stressful items or all your to do's. It’s up to you. Now everyone can view the shared task list and see where they can pitch in. Don’t be surprised when you find out that something that stresses you out is something one of your friends or family actually enjoys doing. That would be great! But even if they only pitch in with the non-stressful items, its still helps, as it would take some load off your shoulders. Doesn’t hurt to reach out and ask, right? Our next tip will tell you how.

7. Use an easy event planning app like the Pitch In Club

As the name implies, the “Pitch In Club” was created to bring people together and start making events more fulfilling and satisfying for everyone involved. Why do it all yourself? Turn your party planning anxieties to a fun filled group effort.

Other ways Pitch In Club app can help

• Allows you to manage your guest list, create an online sign up, a shared to do list, track who is coming, and who is helping out.

• You can break down any sort of event into individual tasks. Then it not only allows you, as the party's host, to build your guest list but also invite anyone to lend a hand.

• Once tasks are better defined, anyone on your shared task list of supporters can sign up for any of the available tasks. Task by task, you and your "pitch in crew" will be able to work your way through the required party items, enjoy the party , and keep your overall anxiety to a minimum.

Thank you for checking us out. Hopefully this was helpful. For more easy party planning tips, check out our blog