How to enjoy the
season, not simply endure it.
By Paula Spencer
Scott, Caring.com
The
up side of the down economy is that scaled-back events now feel more right than
ever. So if the fast-approaching holidays fill you with visions of stress and
dread rather than dancing sugarplums, family and friends, make an early New
Year's resolution: Vow now to simplify your life; don't wait for January
regrets to kick in.
How:
Greet the season with easy shortcuts that shift the focus away from rote
obligation to what really matters — those you love and care about.
Holiday stressor: Overscheduling
De-stressor:
Shortcuts that preserve "me" time
It
might sound counterintuitive to cram in time for yourself during what's
supposed to be a season of loving your fellow man. But regular time to regroup,
without distractions, gives you both energy and calm — making you more fun to
be around. Too many people lop self-time off the list in the busy season.
Better:
- Check in with your body first,
every time. Before answering an invitation
or building a gingerbread house, pause to notice whether you feel excited
or tense, relaxed or headachy, calm or vaguely nauseated. If you're not
good to go, don't go forward. Don't worry about what others will think.
- Take a mid-party break. Step outside. Look up at the stars. Or find a quiet
corner where you can listen to music alone for a few minutes or do some
deep breathing, even if it's just in the bathroom.
- Say "yes" to the
bigger gatherings. Attending
events where you'll see lots of faces in a short period may help you feel
less obligated to attend lots of smaller events over successive evenings.
Big parties can be exhausting, but then you're done.
Make entertaining easier
Holiday stressor: Entertaining
De-stressor:
Shortcuts that spread the burden
Do you dread playing hostess,
doing all that cooking, making sure your house looks "perfect,"
worrying about having enough space for guests to sit or mingle? Go easy on
yourself with entertaining ideas that focus on relaxation and good cheer.
Better:
·
Host a cookie exchange instead of a big
party. Invite eight or ten friends to each bring that many dozen
cookies to share. You see your pals without having to fuss over a sit-down
dinner — and you get a billion cookies by only having to bake (or, pssst, buy)
one recipe.
·
Spread cheer to others. As a family,
find a volunteer outlet that needs help and do something together: Work in a
soup kitchen, deliver meals, wrap gifts, shop for needy children.
·
Revive the potluck. Ask
everyone to bring a holiday favorite. You supply the wine, cocoa, and
gingerbread men.
·
Eat out. Make
having a festive dinner at a restaurant your new holiday-season tradition — no
cleanup!
·
Amuse one another. Take
turns reading greeting cards and reminiscing about the senders. Have a
tree-trimming party. Sing along to corny holiday songs. Buy a big bowl of nuts
in the shell and hand out nutcrackers.
Downplay the decorations
Holiday stressor:
Decorating
De-stressor: Shortcuts
that go green
All those lights, all that
razzle-dazzle — it takes effort, not to mention energy and resources. Downshifting
to a more ecologically friendly holiday is a simple way to get a simpler look.
Better:
·
Skip the lights in front of the house — and
maybe even the tree. Fewer watts to burn, fewer strings for you
to get tangled in.
·
Decorate with natural elements. Fill
bowls with pinecones. Let the kids stud oranges with whole cloves. Bring red
berry branches and pine boughs indoors (or snip boughs from the bottom of the
tree). Bonus: No hauling boxes of decorations down from the attic. When the
season ends, you can just pitch everything on the compost pile.
·
Wrap gifts in paper you already have on
hand. Ordinary newsprint or paper grocery bags look festive tied with
string in red or silver. No newsprint in this digital age? Try recycling some
of those holiday catalog pages or smaller gifts.
Buck tradition
Holiday stressor:
Following tradition
De-stressor:
Shortcuts that make new memories
At the root of a lot of holiday
stress: doing certain things, in a certain way, in the name of tradition. Maybe
you want to please aging parents or carry on in their memory. Or maybe your
focus is on creating the same traditions, so your kids will know them, too.
Either way, the effort often creates more stress (for you) than bliss.
Better:
·
Shift your focus. Decide
to make happy memories, rather than continue traditions for tradition's sake.
The more relaxed an event, the more likely everyone will want to keep it up,
making future holidays easier, too.
·
Don't assume, ask. Find out
which parts of the holiday truly mean the most to your loved ones. You might be
surprised by what others really
like. Caroling? A special feast? Driving around to look at the lights and
decorations? Keep one or two of those traditions — period — and do them up.
·
Or just decide to wing it this year. Do what
feels festive in the moment. Plan meals on the fly after seeing what looks good
in the store. Invite guests on the spur of the moment, even new acquaintances
you don't know well. Plan nothing. Often whims and accidents are the way
beloved new traditions are born.
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