From the middle of October ~ when you might start preparing for Halloween ~ through January 1, the holiday season tends to run fast and furious. Are you overwhelmed with holiday stress? Go into the next two months with a plan, a schedule and a commitment to simplification!
SET PRIORITIES
- Of all the holidays between Halloween and New Year’s Day, which is your favorite?
- What celebrations/traditions do YOU love?
- Which activities would you actually miss if someone said, “You HAVE to cut back?”
At least some of our holiday stress often comes from trying to meet the needs of others, rather than focusing on what truly will make the season joyful for us. It’s not selfish to cut back on some of those obligations and keep or add in activities that make YOUR heart sing.
For example, I have a friend whose favorite holiday tradition is hosting family friends for a New Year’s Eve sleepover. They have dinner, play games, ring in the new year and make breakfast together the next morning. This has been a tradition for decades and the now-adult children of both families make sure they are in town and available to continue this beloved celebration.
Her holiday stress level went way down when she gave herself permission to cut back on some obligations for other end-of-the-year holidays. She preserves her time and energy for the one most important to her and her family
HOLIDAY STRESS BRAIN DUMP
Make a list of ALL the things you normally do, for ALL the holidays you celebrate between Oct 31 – Jan 1. This includes decorating, meal prep, travel, hosting guests, parties, gift-giving, religious celebrations, work/school events…try to capture everything. Get it “dumped” out of your brain and onto paper.
You may at first feel like looking at this list adds to your holiday stress but stick with me!
Grab a highlighter and mark all the parts you LOVE. These are the items you want to keep on your “to do” list.
Now, look at what’s left…What can you eliminate, delegate, or simplify to make more time and energy for those pieces? Cross off any of these not-so-enjoyable-to-do’s that you can.
Talk to your family and friends…don’t just assume you *have* to keep doing things the same way because they expect it if it’s something you don’t love. Maybe they’re “over it” also…or at least you can find a compromise everyone can live with.
WORK BACKWARDS TO SCHEDULE TASKS
Schedule on your calendar the items from your brain dump list. Start with the day of the celebration and work backward to plug your to do list into your calendar.
Going back to my friend’s New Year’s Eve example, one task might look something like this:
- Dec. 31 ~ Cook Food
- Dec. 30 ~ Prep food (cut veggies, marinate meat, etc.)
- Dec. 29 ~ Grocery shop
- Dec. 28 ~ Plan the meal and make the grocery list
Keep in mind other obligations in your schedule ~ work, parties, travel, other holiday tasks ~ and be sure to factor in enough time for each activity.
Working backward helps you think through tasks based on how close to the event they need to be accomplished and reduces last minute scrambling. Holiday stress is exacerbated when we feel rushed and frantic. Backward scheduling helps prevent this.
You CAN love the holiday season, and you DON’T have to be overwhelmed with holiday stress! Priorities, a plan and a detailed schedule will help.
If you want to simplify your gift giving, check out these ideas for gifts that won’t turn into clutter!