How to keep your sanity during the holidays and just have fun?
Photo by Elina Fairytale
With the holiday season upon us, staying sane is sometimes quite a challenge. With so much to do and so little time, it can be exceptionally easy to start losing your mind and forgetting to enjoy the holiday spirit.
Here’s what you can do to stay afloat and have some fun.
Streamline your task list
Start by considering your task list (I know you have one!). It’s probably filled with very important, less important, and completely unimportant things you want to get done by the end of the year.
Instead of trying to grow an extra set of arms and finish everything you believe you should be doing, rethink the way you write your to-do lists. Set clear priorities, and start from the tasks that are absolutely non-negotiable. Once you are done with them, you can move on to the less important ones.
Stop multitasking
While women are better than men at multitasking, even they should stop trying to do more than one thing at the same time. It will simply raise your anxiety levels and slow you down.
Instead, carve out time for each task on your list and focus on nothing else. You’ll soon find that you are getting things done faster and more efficiently and that you are no longer as stressed.
This does not apply to cooking, though. If you can prep a salad while the main dish is in the oven, by all means, multitask!
Get more sleep
We often sacrifice sleep to get more done, which often only results in us feeling even more cranky and less focused than before. Without ample sleep, our bodies are not able to recover properly, making us feel sluggish and slow.
Treat yourself to a mattress without fiberglass for Christmas this year a little early, and start sleeping more soundly. You will be able to get much more done when you wake up well-rested.
Get everyone involved
You don’t have to do all the holiday prep alone, either. No matter how small or large of a family you have or how many Christmas parties you’re hosting or attending, enlist as much help as possible.
For families, this will often mean getting the kids to chip in. They will certainly not decorate the living room nearly as neatly as you would, but that’s okay. Let them help and enjoy themselves — the house doesn’t need to look like the front cover of a magazine.
Stick to just a couple of traditions
Don’t go into the holiday season expecting yourself to do everything. You don’t have to sing all the carols, or make all the food, attend all the local events, do Elf on the Shelf, make cookies for Santa, wrap hundreds of presents, fill dozens of stockings or watch all the festive movies.
Pick a couple of traditions your family truly enjoys and stick to them. By trying to do too much, you will merely stress everyone out, and you won’t have the time to enjoy what you are doing at the moment.
Take a breather
While you will want to spend as much time with family and friends as possible (not to mention getting everything ready for a magical celebration), don’t forget to take some time just for yourself.
You don’t have to treat yourself to a spa weekend. An hour every couple of days will do. Focus on forgetting about everything that needs to be done and immerse yourself in a bath, a TV show, a book, or a meal. Unwind and let your mind relax, and don’t feel guilty about it. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Remember the spirit of the holidays
The holidays are about spending time with loved ones and enjoying the festive spirit. That does not mean you have to work yourself ragged to bake everyone’s favorite meal, get everyone dozens of special presents, or decorate the house from top to bottom.
While it’s certainly nice to eat extra special meals and enjoy extra special events, it’s okay if you don’t. Having a regular day is perfectly acceptable, so don’t worry about not being festive enough or not getting enough done.
Take a deep breath and focus on the here and now. Don’t run your to-do list in your mind or try to secretly bake something while the family is supposed to be enjoying time together watching a movie. You are doing all you need to do.
Wrapping up
Take these tips into consideration and try to enjoy the holiday season more. While it does come around just once a year, it’s no reason to exhaust yourself or make yourself feel bad because you are “not getting enough done.” Take a breath, get organized, and use this time to be grateful for all the good things.