Let me preface by stating “Christmas is my favorite time of year!”
The holidays are certainly a special time when families gather, charities are gifted, cities light up across the globe, and the feeling of glee spreads like wildfire.
There’s nothing like the season of fall that kicks off some of the most stressful (yet fun) few months of our lives—football, spooky costumes, Hallmark movies, grandma’s sweet potato pie (or pumpkin, whichever side of the debate you’re on), and all of the Christmas festivities we try to cram on our calendars. We know the time is coming, but somehow it always seems to creep up on us, year after year. It’s like parenting, really. No matter how hard you convince yourself you will have a solid plan in place before the next recurring event, you find yourself begging the question “where did the time go?” Life just doesn’t play out that easy.
The destiny we find ourselves wrapped up in to hurry and get to the excitement of Christmas morning can be very adventurous, but also exhausting—even to a point of being intensely daunting. Yeah, there’s a lot to do between football kick-off and carving the turkey, but the overall joy of planning and executing (or just attending) a series of events, gets some of us really revved up. On the other hand, others can become really stressed, and even depressed. As much joy as we experience during this time, there’s also an increasing amount of sadness, whether grief, job loss, family conflict, and the continued path of feeling indebted to all things surrounded by the holidays. We haven’t even factored in how expensive it can become.
What if we did a reset this year and committed to bringing back good ingredients into the holiday season, like fun and joy? Would you really permit yourself such freedom? Seriously, even children don’t experience the same level of fun anymore since the digital world has been embedded into our lives. Though you may not remove all the stress from the hustle and bustle of keeping up with the coordination of activities—planning, cleaning, decorating, cooking, shopping, wrapping, hosting, giving, and supporting event after event, after event—but you can certainly be more intentional about where and why you invest your time and energy. Whew! I’m stressed just pondering over it.
The holidays are about creating and cherishing joyful moments with our loved ones. According to Dictionary.com, joy is: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation. When I think of the word “joy,” I think of peace of mind. That’s it. No matter the multiple meanings that correlate with it, the purest form of joy for me is rooted deeply in contentment—with myself and others. It also makes for a good path of genuine love for one another.
So, where did we get off track with feeling joyful and how can we ingrain it back into our lives? Let’s just start with trying out a short list of things this holiday season, and go from there. I bet you’ll even catch yourself feeling quite merry along the way.
Here are five simple ways you can replace stress with joy, leaving you feeling like you’re truly having fun (okay, at least a little bit):
Grab a holiday planner (a cute and festive one) and start carving out a schedule.
For starters, we have to know what path we’re on and why. Oftentimes, creating a schedule and marking actual items on your calendar can keep you from overcommitting and balancing out saying yes vs. no. Your planned-ahead schedule (lots of free templates available online) will be your roadmap to get you from point A to Z, and everything in between. Stick to it! Don’t you dare turn left, when you need to go right. It’s okay if you don’t attend every single event or gathering, and save some of your valuable time for just you and your family. Be sure to allocate and track your budget. Almost forgot, ask for help!
Keep things simplified, but classic and elegant.
We all have a certain amount of capacity, based on our lifestyles. Everyone can’t deck out their homes with different Christmas trees in every room, or even embellish their dinner space like the State Dining Room at the White House. While Pinterest gives us amazing ideas to soak up and try, some things are just way too much when you’re handling all of the logistics. Instead, check out simple and elegant ways to beautify your space and presentation to leave your guests in awe when they visit. Plus, who’s gonna help you take it down and pack it all away?
Create your own family traditions and combine old ones that bring you joy and happiness.
Holiday traditions have been passed down for generations, and it’s great to keep those memories alive and close to your heart. It’s also good to create new ones with your own family. Get everyone involved—especially the children—with brainstorming fun ideas to start making new memories to turn over to your grands and great-grands to come. So many wonderful ideas can be surfaced: holiday party games, watching movies in pajamas, baking cookies to swap, crafting or collecting ornaments, donating to a local Angel Tree, sending Christmas cards to soldiers, vacation in the mountains, and so much more. Besides, traditions don’t become what they are without someone starting them.
Be strategic with your gift list and pare down where needed.
Do you need to purchase a gift for every single person in your life—relatives, friends, co-workers, church members, neighbors, etc.? Absolutely not. There are so many ways we can give to others that do not include breaking the bank and leaving you stressed and in debt. Aside from your immediate family, think of those who are important in your life. Maybe that’s a gift you want to give to someone every year, or just for a season. You can gift others by baking them a dessert they love, volunteering your time, making a bouquet of fresh flowers from your garden, or any other cool and crafty ideas you can find via Google. The goal is to make it memorable and add joy to their day.
Replace family or political debates with a fun game of trivia.
Give yourself permission to have fun. Channel your battle and philosophical energy to a place of knowledge and logic. Don’t take the fun card away from family gatherings by bringing up uncomfortable topics or anything that causes tension. Keep thoughts of joy and the reason for celebrating at the forefront. Remember, we’re spreading joy this season which should leave us feeling like we’re having fun.
Take a moment to stop, breathe, and meditate. Then, get back to the business of having fun. Happy Holidays!