And I am exhausted. You? Why is this time of year so fraught with activity at work and at home? We are just ticking things off a big “to-do” list until the big day arrives, am I right?
We create this dilemma for ourselves every year and every year we promise ourselves it will be different. Next year I will start my shopping, decorating, cooking, cleaning, earlier. That way I will have everything done, including the tree up, by Thanksgiving (no, I mean Halloween). In a perfect world.
In a more perfect (Barbie) world, I would have the Kens do all this stuff. And I would just hang out with all the other Barbies, go shopping, have facials, massages, mani-pedis and put the top down on the convertible and head to the beach to chill. Yea, that sounds good!
Right now though I have to focus so that I got all my chores done, and can feel satisfied by a job well done. Because sometimes that is just what it takes to finish a project, is hunkering down and powering through. And once its done, you can relax and enjoy the rewards.
However, I would like to suggest that during the upcoming week before Christmas, we come up with something slightly more realistic than the either/or choice of delegating everything vs. digging deep.
Let’s all take a collective breath and make choices this week that actually allow us to enjoy this wonderful time of year. A time when, if we are truly present to ourselves and others, we allow joy to seep in.
Here are seven tips for the next seven days to keep you sane this holiday season:
1. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do, and then just accept it.
2. Get off social media, for your own piece of mind. Comparing ourselves to others is not good for our self-esteem as we always come up short.
3. Take a walk outdoors and delight in nature. I always like to go outside and note the change in the scenery and temperature this time of year. The cold also makes me walk faster!
4. Pull out that book you have been wanting to read, sit down and crack that spine. Get lost in the words of your favorite author, if only for a short while.
5. Watch what you are eating this week. When we are rushed, stressed, or tired, we don’t always make the best choices. And even if you do indulge, don’t beat yourself up. Just do your best and know that you are fallible (human).
6. Embrace the imperfections. Nothing is going to be perfect, not on Christmas, not on a random Monday. That is life. The mishaps make the memories. In my family, we always remember my mom forgetting the dinner rolls in the oven. They are invariably burnt on the bottom – just the way we like them!
7. Connect (and commiserate) with your friends. Sometimes we just need to let off some steam, have a good laugh, and remember we are not alone in this crazy time of year.
My final wish for you is to stay as present as you can, in each moment. The magic of the season is the connections between us and our loved ones, and not one to be missed.