Below are some holidays tips to help keep you happy and sane during the early part of the holiday season.
1. ASK FOR HELP
Everyone should enjoy the holidays, so speak up and enlist the help of those around you (yes, I’m talking about the college kids who camp out on the sofa or the brother-in-law who parks himself in the recliner). If you don’t like asking or delegating, write a list of tasks that need to be done and post it so those around can see what needs accomplishing. You can also use advice from Real Simple Magazine: jot down each task down on a post-it note and put the post-its on the kitchen cabinet. Family members choose their post-it/task like a game!
2. GIFT EXPERIENCES instead of stuff
Remember during the pandemic, you couldn’t wait to declutter your home and remove the clutter caused by items you no longer needed or wanted? The holiday gift-giving season is a significant contributor to accumulated, unnecessary clutter. Seek to gift your loved ones EXPERIENCES as much as you can, such as tickets to a sporting event, show, concert, membership to a favorite organization, a trip to take together, a gift certificate for a massage, registration to a class (cooking, wine tasting, exercise, etc.)
3. PRACTICE GRATITUDE
When you feel tense, pause and think about something you are grateful for. It could be monumental, such as I’m grateful for my family, or something ordinary like I’m grateful a great parking space opened up in the Trader Joes parking lot. There’s no right or wrong way to practice gratitude. Taking an intentional moment to stop and acknowledge something you are thankful for can reduce stress and increase joy.
