If you entertain, do you get stressed out before and exhausted after?

I entertain singly except for once a year when I have an annual Xmas party. I get stressed before the event when I’m cleaning everything I can think to clean. Afterward, I’m blasé about what happens.

Last year, my annual Xmas party was cancelled because I was recuperating from COVID. Ugh!

I used the pandemic as an excuse to stop entertaining, although I used to love it. Yes, wildly stressed before, exhausted after, but delighted during. I would do big Waifs and Strays holiday dinners (often with out-of-town guests), Christmas parties, stuff like that. Now I have no desire at all to host anything. I used up my hospitality coupons a while ago.

Yes. I seldom entertain now, so maybe that’s part of it. I worry that we won’t have enough food, enough drinks, enough to talk about. It always works out though, and my stress was for nothing.

Generally not stressed but exhausted after. It’s a lot of work

I host a relatively large July 4th party and a 4 day event for about 50 people durning the last week in September. It is so much work and I get so nervous that something won’t. go right.
On July 4th we have a bonfire and there are fireworks so I must prepare for any chance of fire: hoses, fire extinguishers, sprayers, water cans, etc.
Attendees are invited to bring experiments and things they want to try. Some plan on it all year! But they always need something, be it concrete blocks, power, gas…. it is endless.
Fortunately I have friends who help with the cooking and attendees bring a dish to pass. That is fun and interesting.
The events are very stressful but well worth it.

My stress is twofold: making sure my house is clean and making sure there’s enough food in the variety I want to have. I always go through a “why did I think having company would be a good idea?” at some point. It really is easier not to have company, but to go to other people’s houses, because it’s such a stress. Before y daughter was born, so almost 20 years ago, I had company maybe once or twice a year. Now I almost never have company and I have friends that have not been to my house in years or have never been here.

Major stressor! Hell, I get stressed if I have to go to a gathering!

I don’t get stressed beforehand, but I do get exhausted after.

The biggest stressor beforehand is forgetting something and having to run to the store. Last Thanksgiving it was “I forgot the stuffing!”.

But I enjoy making the pies and prepping the bird or the roast. This past Christmas I even made Yorkshire pudding for the first time, and now my kids have a new “must have” for Christmas dinner.

Nope. I love hosting and get psyched prior. I also have no letdown after.

Stressed before and exhausted before. Afterwards it’s not exhausting to me, unless you are counting the annoyance of washing pots and pans and cleaning up in general.

I enjoy hosting less than I used to. Now, I simplify where I can. I don’t make everything from scratch, and if it’s a big party I might consider hiring some help.

Casual togethers I’ll sometimes use paper plates if it’s just nosh food. Although, plates in the dishwasher really isn’t a big deal.

Oh, utterly. Total basket case, trying to make sure all the big things are as done as they can get while fussing over the little things. All the while trying to remind myself that nobody is going to say “That green cushion is in the wrong place. I’m leaving.”

And instead of keeping it simple, my tendency is to overdo things. My late husband and I had very different approaches to entertaining, so that added conflict to the mix.

At least I was able to enjoy the event as it was going on.

Afterwards, of course: inevitably, what I always called post-project slump, which was more like a collapse, whether the project was a party, turning in a term paper, completing a big work assignment, or getting through Christmas. Never mind having a baby.

Only decreasing agility and stamina are forcing me to keep things simpler these days.

@Jeruba whenever I entertain, which is rarely now, but still, by the time the guests arrive, I’m more tired from the cleaning than from the food prep. At some point, I just throw stuff into my room and shut the door. I’m always really into the bathroom being spotless, because when I visit people I appreciate a spotless bathroom, and also not having any clutter around the other rooms.

I am stressed to the max right now! That’s why I’m hiding at my keyboard. :-)

^^ Hugs

Aww, it’ll be fun, @LuckyGuy. Have a great time!

Last folks rolled out. 30–35 people I’ll figure it out later. All fingers and toes survived.
Great food and really fun conversations. Time to clean up, shower and go to bed.
Wow! I just checked my Garmin: 30516 steps! A very busy day.

^^ That’s a lot of walking! Shower and go to bed now, do the clean up tomorrow!