5 Ways to Simplify Your Holidays

December 13, 2011

by Susan Fay West

For years I used to shake my head and procrastinate about pulling things together for the “holiday season,” which, in my life, extends from mid-October through mid-January. I was a victim of the holiday stress. OK, a little dramatic, but that’s what holiday stress does to some of u s.And then one year, after attending a holidays/stress workshop at my local library, I woke up and found a new perspective:

Manage the stress instead of giving up and letting the stress managing you.

How can you turn this around and apply it to your life? Here are my five best suggestions. I don’t know your particular situation, but think about how one or more of these could work for you, even if you have to tailor an idea a bit.  

1. Realize that there is more demanded of you at this time of year.

Why do the holidays feel more stressful than other times of the year? Simple, because you try to do more without changing your already busy schedule.

We believe that despite feeling crazy busy much of the year, we can STILL handle more at the holiday season. Stop this wishful thinking! You take on stress when you try to take on more than what you can realistically handle.

Recognize that you can’t do it all and release yourself from the expectation that you have to do it all.

2. Decide what is MOST important.

Less is more, right? Discuss with your immediate household members—including children and parents who live with you—what they find most meaningful and beautiful about this time of year. These answers become your priorities for where to spend time and money.

My holiday priorities are: music, family, something meditative or spiritual, good and positive energy in the air, the smell of evergreens, and the beauty of outdoors. How about you?

If you need to, rank your priorities as high, medium, and low, so you know where to start and how to proceed.

3. Use your calendar and planner – more now than ever.

After you identify your priorities put them on your calendar. Get them blocked in, before other invitations and “must do” events fill up your time. Remember, if you don’t write it down, you’ll forget. Use one master calendar for your entire household so you don’t end up double booked. Ask everyone to consult this calendar before accepting an invitation or making a commitment.

In my household, it’s fairly predictable that we spend certain weekends away from home. I block out these weekends and then evaluate the time I have left. I’ve learned that I need one weekend a month at home, ideally two, to feel anchored. Anchored, to me, means I have my head clear, and feel fairly in control, not scattered. My head feels organized, so I feel calmer all around.

So if I see I’ll be out of town every weekend in a month, I try to reschedule events or say no to things so I can have my important “anchor” time.

4. Organize your days differently.

I like to grocery shop on the weekends, preferably Sunday.  There are certain household management chores I prefer to do on weekends rather than weeknights. These routines bring comfort to me.

But they also can cause stress if I refuse to be flexible. While I prefer to shop on Sundays, that’s not the only day of the week I can shop. If Sunday is a busy day, I have to be flexible enough to shop on a less busy day that week.

Routines are great, but if they are more stressful than helpful give yourself permission to walk away from them for the holiday season and return to them when you have fewer demands on your time.

5. Ask for assistance.

Times of stress, of change or overload are the best—and easiest—times to give yourself (and your budget) some permission to hire out services.

Hire an organizer coach to help you plot out your season. Hire a personal assistant or errand services company to grocery shop with your list, do gift returns, or ship packages.

For more help organizing for the holidays download our free Have an Organized Holiday Season webinar. Click here for more information.

Susan Fay West is the author of Organize For A Fresh Start. Her website is organizenh.com.

 

Filed under: BetterWay Blog