The holiday season is often portrayed as a magical time. There is a unique buzz in the air and we are often surrounded by festive lights, delicious meals, and celebrations with friends and family. While this time of year can feel exciting, it can also feel overwhelming. Between shopping lists, family expectations, and the pressure to make everything perfect, it is easy to get lost in the chaos of it all. If you would like less stress and more peace this season, you are not alone. I have gathered a few ideas to help us all find a calmer and more joyful holiday season.
Define What Matters
The holiday season can be full of expectations, both set by ourselves and others around us. We can feel pressure to create a “perfect” experience for ourselves and those we love. This can include giving the perfect gift, cooking the perfect meal, planning the perfect family gathering, taking the perfect family photo, and the list goes on! We can create incredibly high, even impossible, expectations for ourselves that may leave us feeling stressed or disappointed. And social media does not help! Remember, the holiday season does not need to be picture-perfect in order to be memorable.
Instead of expectations, let’s set intentions for this season. What matters most to you? Defining this will help you figure out where to focus your time and energy. Ask yourself what you would like to feel this holiday season and what kind of memories you would like to make. Clarify what is important to you and focus on ways to make that a priority. For me, I want to focus on connection, joy, and peace. Let’s try and let go of creating a perfect holiday and, instead, create meaningful moments.
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
The holidays are a busy time and it is easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of shopping, party planning, and endless to-do lists. Simplifying the holiday season does not mean sacrificing the joy or magic of the time. It just means focusing on what truly matters and letting go of the extra noise. Start by defining what matters (as discussed above) and then figure out where you can scale back. Maybe you keep a tradition and simplify the process or perhaps you decide to not attend a particular event. An example of how I have simplified the holidays involves decorating cookies. Growing up, I have incredibly fond memories of decorating cookies with my family. They were delicious and baked from scratch! As I create these memories with my own children, I have figured out they don’t care about who baked the cookies and care more about the fun we have decorating them together. I have let go of baking cookies from scratch and now focus on the part of this tradition that brings me joy – hearing my children laugh and have fun with them.
Here are some other considerations for ways to simplify the season:
Limits the number of events you attend
Limit your gift list
Simplify your decorations
Set time limits (for shopping, social events, etc.)
Focus on quality, not quantity
Delegate tasks when possible
Prioritize Self-Care
When we are busy planning, shopping, and juggling all the holiday activities, we can easily forget about our own well-being However, if we want to remain calm and present, self-care needs to be a priority. This doesn’t always mean spending hours in a spa or going on a week-long retreat (although, if you can, why not?). Self-care during the holidays can be as simple as enjoying a hot cup of your favorite coffee in the morning, finding time to read a good book, taking a short walk, or making time for a phone call with a someone who uplifts you. And sleep! With an endless to-do list, we can find ourselves staying up late to get things done. What are some ways that you can emotionally and physically take care of yourself this holiday season?
Unsure of what to do? Here are some ideas to get you started:
Schedule time for yourself (and don’t skip it)
Practice mindfulness and relaxation
Get outside (even for a short walk if it is cold)
Move your body
Stay hydrated
Get enough sleep
Unplug from technology
Engage in activities that bring you joy
Delegate and ask for help
Stay Present
Every year, I find myself giddy with excitement at the beginning of the holiday season. And sometimes, it feels as if it passed by in the blink of an eye. With so much excitement going on around us, we can sometimes get so focused on all of the to-dos that we struggle to reman present. This year, I want to try and focus more on being and less on doing. How do we do this? Let’s put away our phones, step away from the distractions, and really engage in the moment. Listen intently when someone is speaking, savor each bite of a meal, feel the warmth of the fire on your back, notice your child’s face when they laugh, or take a moment to appreciate the holiday lights or music playing in the background. Take deep breaths when you start to feel overwhelmed, and remember that the true spirit of the season lies in connection, not perfection. Being present is about embracing the beauty of simplicity and letting go of the pressure to “do it all,” Allow yourself to enjoy the season for what it truly is and what matters most to you.
Wrapping Things Up
This holiday season, I hope we can all choose to embrace simplicity, mindfulness, and connection. By reassessing our expectations, simplifying traditions, and taking care of ourselves, we can create a holiday experience that is filled with more joy and less stress. The holidays are about the people we share them with and the memories we create, not the gifts we give or the picture-perfect moments we try to create. This year, let go of the chaos, embrace what matters most, and allow ourselves to truly enjoy the season.
Happy Holidays!
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