The Halloween candy is on sale, the holiday jingles and commercials are in full swing, and the first Christmas lights just appeared on your block. You know what that means . . . it's time to start your holiday planning. Perhaps some of you are thrilled and can't wait for all the events and traditions of the season to begin. But for others, maybe you're cringing just at the thought of all the planning, prep, and endless to-dos.
Before you let the holiday overwhelm set in, pause for just a moment and take a deep breath. There are some ways to simplify your holiday planning before you go crazy.
Consider the four ideas below. While it's not an exhaustive list, my hope is that it will at least help you get started, bring you a little less overwhelm, and encourage a lot more joy!
1. Start . . . As in today!
Think about the quote “Begin with the end in mind.” Having a plan is a great way to relieve stress. Creating a plan helps us evaluate what is truly essential in the time available to us. Begin by asking yourself some questions.
Expectations & Traditions:
- What do I want the holiday season to look like?
- What traditions are important to me? (i.e. decorating, treats, events)
- What traditions are important to my family? Consider having a family meeting to ask them (or do this with your spouse if the children are very young). Then, narrow down the list together.
Activities & Events:
- Do we have any family birthdays between December 1 and January 5? If so, what sort of celebration(s) will we have? With 2 birthdays in our household and one in the extended family in December, we really try to keep their day separate and not melted into Christmas. One way to avoid this conflict is to have a small, household-only celebration on their day and do a larger celebration on the half birthday or in January. The important part is to make sure the birthday person doesn’t have to “share” Christmas. For those who have Christmas Day or Christmas Eve birthdays, I’ve included a helpful link here from Real Mom Recs.
- What activities, concerts, or other events do we want or need to attend?
Gifts & Budget:
- Who will we give gifts to? When our children were old enough to write, I helped them narrow the list with a pre-printed template that included the 5-gift rule: "Something I want. Something I need. Something to wear. Something to read. Something to do." – and I included a section for their favorite colors, treats, and sizes. For more ideas on starting this tradition, check out the link HERE from the Pragmatic Parent blog. Have those on your list begin filling out the template this week. Next year, do this by October 15. Be sure to give them a return deadline. My adult children prefer email, but if you mail them, include a return envelope.
- What is the budget – both financially and in the time available? Living within our financial means prevents much of the stress we experience both during the holiday season and in the new year to come. We have to remember that there are only 24 hours in a day and we need adequate sleep so that we can be present with our families.
Celebrations:
- Will you be hosting? If so, what days?
- What will you need to bring if you are attending a local celebration?
- What treats or other cooking will be needed for each celebration?
Travels:
- Will you be traveling this holiday season?
- What do you need to take with you?
- What can be shipped ahead of time?
As you're thinking about all of these questions, don’t forget to include New Year’s Eve and New Year's Day in your planning.
2. Make your lists.
Use your questions as a template to begin list-making. There are several ways to do this. I LOVE using Evernote as I can keep all my lists there to easily access them on my phone. Also, The Fly Lady has a very helpful “Holiday Control Journal” that you can download and print HERE to assist you with your planning. Or, you can just use your own written journal or electronic version. To quote The Fly Lady, “You are very creative people.”
3. Use the lists.
While this seems redundant, it is one of the most important parts of stress relief. Anytime you feel the holiday stress coming on, look at your lists. Seeing what you have already accomplished will help you relax. Sometimes you will need to revise and cut back, even mid-stream. It's okay! Show yourself grace.
4. It is okay not to do everything.
Knowing our limits is a good thing. So much of our stress comes from over-extending ourselves.
Our seasons of life change and our holiday traditions can change with them.
The important thing is to think it through ahead of time, make a plan and be willing to be flexible both in the current year and in the years to come. For more ideas on simplifying your Christmas, check out this post from the Lifestyle Files for 10 Tips to Find Your Christmas Balance.
So, As You Look Ahead to Christmas . . .
As you look ahead to this Christmas and discover more ways to simplify the process, I pray you find yourself anticipating the season with a lot more joy and a lot less dread. After all, in the hustle and bustle of the season, we must not forget to remember the true reason why we celebrate in the first place.
While the family gatherings, traditions, and gift-giving are nice, that's not what the season is all about. The true meaning of Christmas is the good news and great joy given to us by the birth of Jesus Christ. So, even if you don't have time for anything else this season, if you have the gift of Jesus living in your heart, you will have the best Christmas ever!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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