Seven tips for staying sane and savoring this special season
To put it mildly, the holidays can be hectic. CARE magazine® shares some realistic
advice to keep you from being overwhelmed during this busy season.
Without a doubt, the holidays are a crazy time of year. From the end of November to the beginning of January, most of us rush around nonstop, trying to fit in dozens of events, activities, and responsibilities. And even though most of us look forward to this special season all year long, it’s still easy to stretch yourself too thin in the midst of all the festivities. That’s why it’s very important to take care of yourself as well as taking care of everyone else.
Most of us don’t realize just how demanding the holiday scramble can be until we’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or even sick. The good news is, with a little prior planning and prioritizing, you can enjoy and cherish the things that are most important to you without having to run on fumes to make it through New Year’s Eve.
When you decide to have yourself a merry little Christmas, you’ll make more memories to cherish, you’ll be a more valuable help to your family, and you’ll be in a good position to enter the new year already on a roll.
- Make a list and check it twice. Realistically, you can focus only on one or two big goals at a time, no matter how adept you are at multitasking. Sit down (right now) and decide what is most important to you this holiday season and prioritize those things. If spending time with your family is at the top of your list, for example, put them first and consciously make sure that other things remain on the back burner. Or if eating well and maintaining your health is a primary goal, plan out a strategy beforehand so that you won’t be blindsided by buffet-table bounty. Most importantly, remember that you can’t do it all.
- Give yourself the gift of health. When you’re this busy and stressed, it’s easy to become run down and spread yourself too thin. And on top of the strain that the holiday bustle can bring, it’s also cold and flu season…so make sure to take care of your physical needs. Get in some light exercise, even if you can work in only a short walk a few days a week. Also, be sure to drink lots of water, eat healthy foods, and avoid gorging on treats at every opportunity. Lastly, make a point to get enough sleep (DVR that late-night holiday special if you have to). If you do all of these things, you’ll enter the new year on a healthy foot. And that means that you won’t have to start all over on January 2nd and make a brand-new set of “lose weight and live healthier” resolutions.
- Go on a date…with yourself. We tend to be more or less constantly surrounded by other people during the holidays; after all, it’s a season devoted to being with the ones you love! However, even when it comes to family and friends, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. To make sure you don’t become socially drained mid-season, make a point to do something by yourself every now and then. Maybe it’s sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee in the middle of Christmas shopping or going to see a romantic comedy without your kids. (A dinner with just your spouse can also serve this function if you’d rather not fly solo.) When you unwind and take a breather, your perspective will stay clear, and your stress won’t become too overwhelming.
- Plan ahead. Everyone talks about how the holidays “catch them by surprise” every year. In order to keep from being overwhelmed and overbooked in the coming weeks, you need to look at your calendar right now. Start scheduling social engagements as soon as you become aware of them and give yourself plenty of time to fulfill your own responsibilities so that you aren’t frantically gluing tinsel onto your daughter’s pageant costume at 2:00 a.m. the day before her big stage debut. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy seasonal events instead of just getting through them.
- Let yourself off the hook and be okay with that. Unless you’re Martha Stewart, you’ll never have a picture-perfect holiday season. (Truthfully, most of us can identify more with Clark Griswold’s mishaps in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as the beloved character tries to create a “good old-fashioned family Christmas.”) To save your sanity, realize ahead of time that you might forget to buy a gift for Great-Aunt Maude, that the dog might break a few low-hanging Christmas ornaments, and that you might not be able to make all eight dozen cookie recipes you’ve collected. That’s normal, so don’t beat yourself up. Keep your focus on what’s really important and you’ll be less tense and harried—as well as more resilient.
- Say “no”. Many of us have trouble saying no for a variety of reasons: We don’t want to let others down, we don’t want to be seen as weak, we’re afraid to refuse, etc. However, until you learn to say “no” when you need to, you’ll never be in the driver’s seat of your own life. You don’t have to do it all—nor should you. You don’t have to chair every event, host every party, and buy every gift on your kids’ lists. Again, decide ahead of timewhat’s most important to you and prioritize those things. Then you can feel okay about saying no to some of the rest.
- Give yourself a gift (or two). Chances are, you’re probably finished shopping for some of the items on your gift list. As you’re choosing the perfect presents for your spouse, kids, friends, and more, don’t forget yourself. Whether it’s an afternoon pedicure or a plush new robe to wear around the house during the chillier months, remember that it’s both okay and healthy to invest in yourself. Spending a few dollars or minutes on yourself might seem like a relatively small thing, but it can make a happy difference.
Ultimately, you don’t have to completely overhaul the way you approach the holidays to savor the upcoming season instead of feeling stressed by it. By putting some prior thought into what you find most meaningful and important, and by acknowledging the importance of your own health and sanity, you’ll find that this can be ‘the most wonderful time of the year!”
