Here Come The Holidays
November is the gateway to the holiday season, opening the doors to good cheer, Christmas music, and family gatherings, but also being overextended emotionally, physically and financially.
Or somewhere in between, looking forward to the festivities but dreading the stress of it all?
I used to fall in the in between category. There are so many fun holiday rituals that I love and then so many things I unnecessarily took on that ruined it for me.
Over the years, I learned to focus more on what mattered and less on what didn’t so I could more fully enjoy what the season is really about for me, spending time and making memories with the people I love.
If you scratch and claw your way through this season needing a vacation at the end of it, here are my tips for enjoying the holidays rather than surviving them….
quality over quantity
It is very easy to get swept up in the shopping frenzy, over the top food spreads and decorating like the Griswolds. More is not always better, especially if it is stretching you in ways that are not good for you.
Choose quality rather than quantity! No one needs 20 gifts, 10 side options or so many decorations you need a storage room to hold it all. Less time shopping, decorating and meal prepping means more time actually enjoying the season.
decide what is most important and stick to it
No one has the energy, time, or money to do it all so stop trying. Keeping up with the Jones is like kicking your joy in the teeth. Decide what aspect of the holidays you enjoy most and place your effort there instead of spreading yourself thin. Then if you have extra time, energy or help move on to the second most important thing.
If you love and enjoy cooking make that the priority. Remember you don’t have to please everyone’s palate every holiday, you can take turns. Or better yet, teach the picky eaters how to make their favorite dish building quality time and memories together.
gift from the heart not the wallet
I cannot stress this enough…
Going into debt with excessive gift giving is NOT what the holidays are about!
NO ONE NEEDS MORE STUFF.
Read that again… no one needs more stuff. Take a breath and let that sink in.
Overspending and financial strain are huge stress inducers so don’t do it. Set a budget and stick to it, have conversations with your loved ones letting them know you are choosing quality over quantity, and set limits on who you are giving to.
What people really want is to know that you care about them, see them, appreciate them. Isn’t that what you want?
Go for thoughtful and meaningful.
make a plan and delegate/hire out
You do not need to do it all! Stop taking on the holidays as a burden and reclaim the joy in them.
Mom’s tend to carry the weight of the holidays and there is no valid reason that needs to be the case. If I had a nickle for everytime I heard “shopping is your thing,” or “I don’t know how to wrap presents,” or “I don’t want to get in your way,” or “you do it better than me,” and on and on the excuses come.
Make a plan of what you want to do, write it out and stick it on the fridge. Then delegate, delegate, delegate or hire others if you can afford to. It will only stop becoming a burden if you take the load off your back.
one step at a time
Overwhelm happens when you are focused on the end result.
This is when having a plan is really helpful. Take one step at a time, complete it then move on to the next. Before you know it your list will be complete and hopefully you will have enjoyed some of the holiday rituals in a more calm way.
dont sweat the small stuff
The planner always notices all the things that didn't happen but the guests rarely do. Again, it’s not worth your precious energy to worry and fret over what didn’t get done.
Try all the suggestions above and whatever doesn’t happen…let it go and enjoy yourself!
Want some more tips? Join us November 6th for Healthy Through The Holidays.
Do you have some helpful hints for thriving through the holidays? Share them with us on Facebook
In peace and love and light,
Marnie
