Don’t let the holiday season slip by! Enjoy the holiday season more this year with these tips and 12 days of holiday inspiration. It can be the best Christmas yet!
The holidays are quickly approaching. A time some people look forward to and some dread, maybe even a mix of both.
When I was a kid I remember adults talking about being stressed about the holidays or not being very excited about it. I never understood it. Christmas is simply so magical and fun! As an adult I’ve now had those moments of stress, that’s a big reason for this blog.
I’ve made the mistake of trying to do it all and make everything perfect. I have also worked hard over the last few years to avoid those mistakes and also share what I have learned with others.
The year has already been so stressful we need Christmas to bring some much-needed joy! That’s not going to happen if you are running around stressed. So what can you do? Learn from my mistakes and all I’ve learned over the years of trying to bring back the magic of Christmas.
How to Enjoy the Holiday Season
Set Holiday Goals
Have you ever thought about holiday goals? No not #goals but actual, practical goals. It may sound silly but if you have goals you will have a better idea of your priorities.
For example, my goals this year are to create a cozy and inviting home since we will be spending basically all of our time here and to provide fun activities that can help us enjoy the season.
Having these goals I know to think about each thing I do and decide if it fits with those goals. There are likely a lot of things you’d do on autopilot thinking they will make your Christmas better but really they don’t line up with your goals and aren’t something you will miss.
You’ll want to be sure you have these goals written down as well! You can do this in my Christmas planner. It has all the pages you need to really stick to those goals.
Lower Your Expectations
The story I like to share, that lead to me writing the book A Stress-Free Christmas which has now turned into a full blog, is the year I was trying to make homemade Christmas cards for everyone on my very long Christmas card list.
I had started pretty early but it was taking hours and I only had small chunks of time to work on them. Suddenly I found myself staying up way too late the night before a fun Christmas trip trying to finish them. I was so stressed and didn’t even end up getting them all sent out.
I could tell many stories like this. Stories of trying to be the Martha Stewart of Christmas only to end up stress and not getting to enjoy it myself.
The funny thing is now that my expectations are lowered I actually end up feeling a lot more accomplished and happier. Those around me are also happier and enjoying the holiday season more.
But how do you decide which things to let go of when it seems like all of it needs to be done?
First of all, you are likely doing things no one really cares about. I used to make around 3-4 side dishes and at least 2 desserts for Christmas dinner, turns out people are just as happy with 2 sides and 1 dessert.
Second, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I also tried to do it myself but when talking to my husband about what needs done he usually is happy to take a few tasks or he offers to pick up some of my usual tasks so I have more time.
And finally, consider if you can get some outside help. Of course budgets are often tight this time of year but if you have wiggle room it’s something to consider. Send out some laundry for cleaning, hire a cleaning service, or even just using a meal service like Blue Apron for a few weeks can help.
Being proactive to lessen your workload can make all of the diffence when it comes to having a stress-free Christmas.
Learn to Say No
We may have less to say no to this year but generally each year we get invited to lots of events and parties, get volunteers for lots of tasks, and just an endless number of requests of our time can be thrown our way during the holidays.
I think this year is teaching us to appreciate more of those things but we still don’t need to do all of it and we still need to say no from time to time.
This can be hard because we are worried about hurting feelings but we must learn to set boundaries. The truth is most of the time people understand. They are in the same boat as you, they also need to say no to some things or they will end up with a stressful holiday season.
You don’t need to give long excuses just say something like “that sounds lovely and thank you for inviting me but I won’t be able to make it this time.” You can even check in later to see how it went to make sure they know you do care.
Take Time For Yourself
Guess what, you should enjoy the holiday season as well! It’s easy to feel like you need to be making everything great for everyone else but you deserve to have fun as well.
Creating your own traditions that are just for you and making sure your favorite activities are made a priority are important. Don’t let those things become the things you ditch if things get busy.
To help you make time for yourself and enjoy the holiday season as well I have created 12 Days of Holiday Inspiration. It’s an ebook with 12 different tasks you can do for yourself this holiday season.
You don’t have to do them all at once or even before Christmas. You can make it 12 days of Christmas celebrating after the holidays if that’s easier. You can also do it during December and just divide up the days, whatever works for you.
To get a copy just fill out the form below. It’s totally free and will be sent to your inbox so you can check it out right away.
Don’t let your wants and desires go unmet this year. Make time for yourself! You will find yourself less stress and able to enjoy the season more if you do.
Deanna Piercy
It might sound crazy but there’s a part of me that is looking forward to the fact that Christmas is going to be very much scaled back this year. Of course there are certain things I will miss (Christmas Eve service, for instance) and some things are uncertain. But I also feel as though expectations will be greatly lowered and we have learned to appreciate some rather simple things this year.