I know it’s hard to believe but we are only about a week away from Thanksgiving and Christmas will be following close behind. You may already have those nagging little thoughts about whether you can get it all done in time, and if everything will be “Just Right.” Maybe your stress meter is already on the move. I want to share some Stress Less tips….Check them out and see which ones you think will work for you.
1. Shop early if possible. If you feel it’s too late for this year, then plan to begin right after the New Year picking up items on sale if your finances allow. If your family draws names, suggest that you do that at your Christmas get together THIS year for NEXT year. This way you have a whole year’s head start and you can watch for items all year as they come on sale.
2. Keep a family calendar. Find a good central location, for it and encourage everyone to makes notes as they have events come up. Watch how the calendar is filling up so you can avoid overscheduling. If you can keep up with everyone’s plans for the next few weeks, you can prevent conflicting plans and hopefully keep the stress level to a minimum.
3. Control your calendar. Don’t overload yourself and your family. Remember, you may not do every holiday event, so try to prioritize, getting input from everyone on what’s most important to them. Be sure to intentionally schedule in family time because if you don’t, that’s what will get squeezed out. It’s ok leave some spaces blank just for down time.
4. Stay in good communication with all members of the family so scheduling mix-ups don’t happen and everyone feels included in decisions.
5. Keep it simple! We make things way more complicated than they have to be. There may be some special dishes you want to make from scratch, but everything doesn’t have to be. Take advantage of the time saving options available to you. You don’t have to hand stencil you own wrapping paper, the kids will just rip it off and play with the box anyway! Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. The memories of a simpler, more relaxed Christmas will more than off-set any shortcuts you decide to take. Decide what special projects you really want to put the time into and make those really special and memorable.
6. Don’t wait until the last minute! Begin now to plan and organize your schedule, shopping lists, and menus. Many recipes can be made ahead and frozen over the next few weeks saving you valuable time for those last -minute things that will invariably come up.
7. Remember the REASON FOR THE SEASON. Make Jesus an integral part of all your preparations. Each day of this busy season, look for ways to incorporate the true aspect of Christmas into all you do. There are some wonderful family devotionals out there, and something as simple as keeping a Nativity set out and available can start some great conversations. Be sure to have a set that is kid-friendly so they can touch the pieces and move them into place as you recount the story. We love the Fisher Price set plus I have found some other fun ones that the grandkids enjoy every year.
8. Don’t let the family get lost in the shuffle. Take time to enjoy this special time together. Establish traditions of your own and make memories that will last a lifetime.
9. Say NO when you need to, decline politely if it doesn’t fit your schedule, or if something more important will suffer if you say yes. Keep a good balance of activities you KEEP on the schedule: family, church, school and community.
10. Try to keep and eye on your spiritual and physical health during this especially stress-inclined season. Take even a few minutes a day to focus on the spiritual richness and beauty of the season, and just sitting down and taking a few breaks through the day and eating regularly will help keep you physically on track.
11. Remember to take time for yourself (Mom’s, Grandma’s, we are terrible at this!) You will enjoy the holidays more (and everyone else will too) if you will do this one thing. Remember “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!) We really do set the tone for our home, and if you take some time to relax and treat yourself well, everyone will benefit. (Remember on an airplane they tell you in case of an emergency to put your own oxygen mask on first before you try to help anyone else.) We all function better out of a place of calmness and strength. Your attitude and your outlook will be much better if you can.
12. Don’t forget to delegate. YOU can’t pull this off all by yourself and enjoy any of it. If no one offers, ASK for help!
13. BUDGET your holiday spending. Sit down with your spouse if you are married and determine how much you can AFFORD to spend this year. Don’t feel like you have to keep up with your friends, neighbors and most especially the tv commercials! Here’s a real newsflash….You don’t even have to keep up with what you have done in years past! Maybe this year will be the first year when you don’t overspend and then spend the rest of the year paying for it plus interest! Money is probably the number one thing people fight and stress out about leading up to the holidays, and it is a major cause of depression when the bills start arriving in January.