Many people love the holidays. Some people struggle with them emotionally. Some others are just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of activities, dinners, parties, and to-do’s that plague the holiday season. You have to find out what works best for you, but I am very strategic when approaching the holiday season to help ensure that I am enjoying it purely for the season and beating that stubborn overwhelm that can hit us all.
Plan Ahead
Yes, this is easier said than done. But with a little bit of forethought, some careful planning, and a kick-butt calendar you can make your holidays go off without a hitch. Are you planning a vacation? Time off for work? What about if you have kids and they’re on winter break? Write it all down somewhere that your whole household can see so that any questions can be directed towards the calendar and not you! When you plan your events ahead, it can take a lot of the guesswork out of planning your time, but it can also help you put boundaries around your bandwidth to make sure you don’t fall victim to holiday burn out.
Buy Presents year round
In Phoenix, there is tons to do during the holiday season. There are Christmas light displays, events, shows, parties, things to do and eat, and we practically will the cooler weather to come to us in the desert. Many years we’ve tried to fit all of it into the season and it was fun, yes, but crazy. If you think about it, most holiday activities are 4-6 weeks. That gives you maybe 8-12 days where you can spend your time doing all of the santa-esque things. One thing that has really helped me is choosing 2-3 things that we MUST do as a family. Going to see the Nutcracker ballet and visiting the Desert Botanical Gardens is another. Those two things bring so much joy to my heart and it wouldn’t be the Christmas season without it.
Draw Boundaries
Drawing boundaries with your extended family might seem a bit difficult during this time however, protecting your family’s bandwidth and mental/emotional health during the season matters most. When you set expectations year after year with your extended family, they can learn to respect those boundaries. If you can’t make it to all sets of parent’s homes for the holidays, accept that it is ok or offer an alternative like celebrating early (if your schedule allows, see #1.) Drawing boundaries is a very healthy and important way to manage expectations and focus on being together instead of making the next slot on your calendar.
Be Present
Try your best to remain present when you are doing all of the holiday things. When you are with your family, be with your family. Put down your phone. When you are with your friends, be with your friends. When you are able to remain present around your friends and family, you can savor those precious moments, put aside worry and anxiety, and drink the memories in.
