I get REALLY excited about Christmas. It's that magical time of year when everything twinkles and smells of cinnamon and nutmeg. A time to catch up with friends and embrace gift giving. And as much as I get so excited about this festive season and look forward to it, when it arrives, I find myself stressed and anxious. All of a sudden, the 1st of December creeps up, and I find I'm asking myself, how can I deal with my full time job, attending every social event in the calendar, visiting every Christmas market, finding the perfect gifts for my family while sticking to my budget, all while still taking account of my health and self care. Happy time turns into anxious time. And I'm not the only one, the darker days, colder weather and stress to be a social bunny leaves many people feeling flat and hollow at this time of year. Festive burnout, as this has now been termed, affects many of us. But it doesn't have to be this way. So, with that in mind, I decided this, the final Christmas of the DECADE(!!!) would not be a stressful time for me. Here's how I made that happen...
1. Diarise your self-care.
This was the most important factor for me. I knew I still had to prioritise my health and wellbeing, so exercise, sleep and healthy eating still had to factor into my week. Maybe I don't manage as much as usual, but knowing I make time for it, confirms I am still taking ME seriously. The simplest way to make this happen for me is weekly planning. I wrote in my diary when I had social events and those evenings that I wasn't socialising, I diarised fitness and wrote my daily meal plan to ensure 3 healthy meals a day on those days I knew I wouldn't be out overindulging. This really worked for me, when I saw it written down that I was going to swim on Tuesday or run on Wednesday, it happened. I knew what I was planning to eat that day, and, as I batch cook, I knew what healthy meals I had in the freezer. Set aside intentional down-time.
2. Understand it's okay to say no.
Face it. Unless you can be in five places at once, you simply cannot make every social event in the calendar. Make the ones you feel are extra important and do not give yourself a hard time if you say no to making an event or get together. Some evenings I knew I just needed to put my feet up and have some me time after work. And I LOVED it because it was guilt free and it was what I needed.
3. Prioritise
Think about what really matters to YOU. What will make this a season of joy for you? Eliminate the non-essential and prioritise what matters. What do you want to accomplish? What, if you don't get it done, wouldn't be the end of the world? Write down your priorities and forget the rest!
4. Think sustainable.
This is my own personal addition because taking care of the planet means something to me. So I feel good when I face the festive season with my values still firmly in place. Your reusable coffee cup can hold mulled wine, too! Buy recyclable wrapping paper (no glitter or shiny bits), or better yet, use plain brown paper and decorate with foliage and pine cones for the most authentic effect (see photo). Newspaper works too! Keep your gifts green, it can be easy to go for fast fashion in the Christmas shopping panic. Buy what you would be happy to receive.
5. Accept
Accept that this is a time of year that can bring with it more stress and anxiety. There's inevitably going to be more on your to-do list, but accepting this, and going with it, will make the journey so much easier. You are not alone. Accept. Go with the flow. You might find yourself having a little fun on the way!
6. Sleep
If you want to know why this is important... just read my previous blogs. Trust me, you need to sleep!
Happy Holidays!
Comments