As we come into the silly season, our ever-growing to-do lists get longer, and weekends fill up quickly with events and catch-ups. At this time of year, it’s more important than ever to check in with ourselves internally and help organise the load to reduce stress, so we can enjoy this special time.
Christmas is my favourite time of year, but with it comes stress and overwhelm. To help reduce this, I put certain things in place to manage the larger-than-usual to-do list!
START EARLY.
However this looks for you, starting early is a game-changer and helps avoid the last-minute rush. No one wants to be doing all their Christmas shopping the day before the big man arrives! This could be anything from starting your present shopping early to booking in time to shop.
- Start writing your Christmas gift list early, and make notes of special requests or ideas you come across for specific people.
- If you have a lot of gifts to buy, the financial strain of buying everything at once can be overwhelming. Try to buy gifts slowly, a few months in advance, to take the pressure off.
- Does your family all bring something to eat, or do you do a big Christmas bake-off? Start making notes now for recipe choices and ingredients.
- If you have a long list of ingredients to buy, adding a few non-perishable items to your shopping cart each week leading up to Christmas can help reduce the size of your final food shop.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS.
Sometimes the expectations of doing EVERYTHING at Christmas time can be exhausting!
- Schedule in downtime. Preplan these times and add them to your diary or calendar so you remember to rest and refresh during the silly season. Your mind and body will feel better for it.
- It's ok to say no or reschedule. Feeling like you have too many events and catch-ups booked in? At this time of year it is important to check in with ourselves and say no to things or reschedule for after the holidays. This can difficult for some people but your loved ones will understand and appreciate you being open and honest. They may even feel the same.
- Ask for help and delegate tasks to others to reduce your mental load. This will make a huge difference and give others the opportunity to be involved.
REST AND TAKE CARE
We may have less time, but the importance of rest and self-care is more important than ever!
- Sleep and rest. Don't let this time of year change these parts of your life. We will enjoy this time of year so much more by looking after ourselves.
- Don't forget to eat. Guilty mum here! Make sure you have snacks and water ready to grab on busy days.
- Continue with your self-care. If you love your weekly yoga sesh, journaling or morning walks, don't stop them if these bring your joy.
Most of all have fun! This time of year is all about making memories and spending time with our loved ones. Be present and enjoy the special moments this Christmas.
Enjoy BEING while BECOMING!
Happy silly season! 