I’m posting this early because I think many of us are really starting to feel the pressure of this holiday season weighing down on us. Honestly, most of us end up feeling as if the holidays are one big sprint from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and everything that happened in between was just “lived”, not “experienced”. In fact, most people are so stressed out by the holidays that they aren’t even enjoying them. The constant check list of getting the house clean for guests, making the perfect meal, and purchasing everyone’s gift (the perfect gift?!?). Then there’s the wrapping and baking and decorating….oh my! That doesn’t even include school concerts and classroom parties! It’s no wonder we tend to lose it. So how do we stop?
Well, the short answer is that most of us won’t stop. So we need to find a way to make the craziness more manageable, and, hopefully, that can allow us to be “in the moment” of the holiday more.
First, assign tasks to your kiddos depending on their age. Little kids can take a clean rag and wipe off tables and chairs. Older kids can do more cleaning and tidying. Be specific in what you ask, but also be ok with some things not being done exactly the way you would do them. For example, I have my older kids clean their bathroom. They wipe everything off with a Clorox or Lysol wipe, clean the toilet and straighten up the counter and cabinet. Is it the way I would do it? No, but it is clean and presentable enough that I can take that off of my list.
Secondly, make your cookie dough batter ahead of time and freeze it. I made mine the weekend before Thanksgiving. Most freeze extremely well. In fact, you can freeze some cookie dough as scoops or balls so that they are ready to go.
Third, potluck your holiday dinner. Focus on the bigger parts of the meal (like the Turkey/meat) and outsource sides and desserts. Sharing the burden is a great way to help ease some of the stress. Did I mention it was ok to ask for help? If not – IT’S OK TO ASK FOR HELP! Especially since all of us can relate.
Fourth, be intentional with your time. What I mean by that is to intentionally schedule your time. For example, plan to make holiday cookies with your kids and that time is spent only cookie making. At a kid’s class party or concert? Then mentally prepare yourself to be in that moment and everything else is on the proverbial “back burner”. You may find that as you mentally break things down into smaller segments that you are enjoying yourself more, being present in the moment more.
And last, but most importantly, intentionally schedule time to enjoy the season. If it’s sitting down and watching a holiday movie or making a memory with your family, block off that chunk of time. For my family and I, we take one evening to drive around and look at the Christmas lights and decorations. We pack hot chocolate in travel mugs, a tin of our holiday cookies, and we just drive around all over town enjoying the scenery. It is such a beautiful time of year and well worth taking the time to do – so feel free to adopt my family’s tradition as your own. It truly is an excellent way to pause, make memories, marvel at the beauty of the season and remember why we are even celebrating.
So, from my family to yours, have a blessed and joyous holiday!