We have a lot to do in December!
Shopping, cooking, wrapping, social events, work stuff, family stuff… the list is long, and we do a great job handling it.
But the holiday season should be enjoyable as well as productive.
We should have fun, relax and enjoy the season too!
For me, that means protecting my energy and giving myself time and space to do the things I love, not leaving the things for me at the end of my list, but including them as things that are just as important as anything I’m doing for the kids, family or work.
Protecting your own energy so you can actually ENJOY the holiday season is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.
Here are 3 ways to protect your energy this holiday season:
Set boundaries that make you feel good.
We tend to think of boundaries as something we set for other people to follow, but it’s actually the opposite. Boundaries are for you, not for other people. You can't control what other people do, you can only control what YOU can do, think or say.
Here are a few feel-good boundaries you can try this Christmas:
- I will book downtime into my calendar so I have a chance to relax and not rush through each day
- I will put my phone away while at events so I don’t see anything pop up that makes me feel pulled in multiple directions t once and can enjoy the moment I am in
- I will buy easy ‘heat & eat’ foods, takeaways or simple cheese and cracker options for simple dinners on busy weeknights
- I will turn off my phone in the evening so I have time to relax and watch a show or read without being interrupted
- I will buy a couple of extra nice things for myself so I can be sure I'll receive things I love this Christmas
Proactively set your intention for each social activity.
Whether it’s for a social event, a work thing, or even Christmas day lunch with the family, taking a few moments to set your intention for it can make it feel easy and fun when you get there.
Before you leave the house, take a quiet few minutes by yourself to visualise it being easy and enjoyable:
- The drive will be smooth with no traffic
- You’ll find a great car park easily
- You’ll see people you love to spend time with as soon as you walk into the room
- The kids will be happy and well behaved
- There will be food you enjoy there
- You’ll be able to relax and enjoy the event
- It will be lovely to catch up with colleagues, friends, or family
- The drive home will be easy
- You’ll have a relaxing afternoon / evening afterwards
Include the things YOU enjoy.
Yes, we want to include outings and fun things for the kids, but you’re just as important!
Write a list of the things YOU enjoy at Christmas and book time into your calendar to do them in December.
My favourites:
- Decorate Christmas cookies (and eat them)
- Have a December date night with my husband and watch Die Hard (my favourite date night Christmas movie
) - Watch Hallmark Christmas movies while I wrap gifts
- Play Christmas music each evening when I’m cooking or hanging laundry
- Have lazy afternoons by the pool and easy platters for dinner
- Have a fun advent for myself as well as the rest of the family
- Do a puzzle throughout December (it doesn’t have to have a Christmas picture, I’ll still call it my Christmas puzzle)
- Drive around looking at Christmas lights with my family
I hope you found these tips helpful! If you’re ready for next steps on simplifying Christmas, you might like to check out my Make Christmas Easy planner. It’s a set of simple prints that help you get organised for Christmas without stress or overwhelm, so you can relax and enjoy the holiday season too!
Check out the Make Christmas Easy planner here >>
x Marissa
