Look after yourself and DO YOU
Holiday exhaustion can be a thing so go nice and easy. Give yourself and your plans some flexibility and gentleness. Give yourself some room to do what feels right for you. Bottom line, give yourself some room to do what feels right, from one moment to the next. Prioritize yourself. Be gentle. Do YOU.
Manage expectations
Learn to be present so you can enjoy your friends, family, Christmas tree, lights, and moments, as well as the moments of joy and contentment that go along with it.
Gifts without the crowds
Think about gifting experiences like movie passes, sporting tickets, cooking classes, or even your time as a gift. In my family, we believe in having holiday experiences, creating new holiday traditions, and spending time together as a family - I feel like these are amazing bonding, relationship nurturing, and learning experiences.
Be intentional
Over the holidays ask yourself what’s most important to you. What do you want your plans to be? You decide who you want to interact with and prioritize fulfilling your own holiday experiences.
Spend smart
Overspending at this time of year can be very harmful for people's mental and physical well-being. Be honest with yourself about how much you can afford to spend on your loved ones, make a budget and commit to it. In our family this year we have randomly chosen one person to buy for and put a price limit on this because otherwise, it tends to cost us a lot of money.
Practice boundaries
I know that “No” is a complete sentence. I know that I don’t owe anyone anything. I know I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do. But it’s so much easier said than done, is not it? Holidays are a perfect time to hone your boundaries skills. There is so much stuff to do, people to see, parties to attend, obligations to fulfil, and annoying family members to avoid. You know, all the things!
Play More
Since it is the most wonderful time of year, the magic is in the air, and you may even kiss Santa tonight…Why not play more? Really play, be childlike. Sing Christmas songs off-key, play some outdoor games, take real advantage of your time off, just doing nothing, take a bubble bath, light a candle, turn off your phone and play card games with your family, be present, get grateful, and start feeling like indeed, this could be your best holiday season yet!
