It is so easy to over-commit your time and resources.
In your efforts to please others, you often forget that you have limits. Before you know it, you are stressed and overwhelmed by all that you need to get done. You are snapping at your kids, resenting all the cooking, you’ve overspent and under-slept for weeks. The closer Christmas gets, the more stressed you are—you start hoping you can get through the season with your sanity.
Your desire to take care of everyone and prove you can do it all can overtake your common sense. You want to do it all; the Christmas cookies, shopping, wrapping, visiting, more shopping, cooking, cleaning, more wrapping, more shopping, baking for all of your kids’ Christmas parties, juggling all the responsibilities of managing your family, more cooking… on and on it goes until you feel like you are losing your mind in the middle of the holiday season.
It is so easy to over-commit your time and resources.
If you are ready to stop the madness and reduce the holiday stress, you need to stop doing these six things.
1 - Agreeing to do everything.
Decide how many extra things you can do this season (for me it is 4—one per week of December) Once you have committed to those things, start saying no to the rest.
2 - Adding to your Christmas list.
You do not need to buy or make everyone you know a gift. Take time after Thanksgiving to make a list of the gifts you want to give this year. Just because someone gives you a gift, does NOT mean you owe them a gift. Even a nice thank-you card makes for a great unexpected gift. Stick to your list.
3 - Ignoring your budget.
Do not ignore your budget and get caught up in the “but Christmas only comes once a year!” mentality. Yes, it does come once a year EVERY year. Stick to your budget and your New Year will be much less stressful.
4 - Overbooking your schedule.
You do not have to attend every party or get together you are invited to! Put your family (husband and kids) first, then your parents next on the list. These are the most important people to spend time with during the holidays. Everyone else is a bonus! Do NOT book every single weekend with events. Managing your calendar avoids holiday burnout before Christmas even arrives.
5 - Everybody else’s traditions.
I cannot tell you how often I hear people moan that they have a dozen family traditions that they must do because they have been passed down from both sides of both sides (father’s parents and mother’s parents) In addition, they are making new family traditions. That is a lot of work! Choose traditions that are feasible and are really important to you and your husband. Let the rest go.
6 - Feeling guilty for staying home and enjoying your family traditions.
Your family needs some down time. This is the perfect season to slow down and enjoy time together. Watch a movie, read a book together, or play some games. Just don’t feel guilty about spending time relaxing at home.
When you stop doing these six things- you will enjoy the holidays without the stress.
I am rooting for you!
Cathy