As the holiday season is approaching it is essential to slow down and be intentional about the season’s purpose, so as to experience more joy and less stress.
If you’ve never had a slow, simple and an intentional holiday season before, but would like to have one this year, today I have this guest post from Annemarie Stolting who is the host of the Let’s Slow Down Podcast. As a wife and a mother of 3, she craved a slower-paced life with more space to breathe and relax and started the Let’s Slow Down Podcast to highlight this topic and have inspiring conversations about ways to ease up on the daily grind. If this resonates, please tune in each week for new episodes and inspiration.
I hope you enjoy the post and gain inspiration from it to have a slow, simple Christmas and holiday season this year.
How to slow down for a simple and intentional holiday season
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Do the holidays stress you out? Have you pulled in a million directions without enough time, energy, or money to fit it all in? Yes? Me, too. {big sigh}
In the past, I would lose my mind trying to “do it all” and then wind up feeling exhausted, sick, totally burned out, and over budget by the time the holidays actually arrived. Sounds really special, right? Year after year that is pretty much how the story went.
I desperately craved a different way. One that felt easier. Lighter. More peaceful.
I wanted to feel the magic of the season, make time for what mattered, and maybe even enjoy a few of those silent nights that we all sing about….but how?
Here are 6 ideas to embrace if you’re looking for calm and ease this holiday season.
1. First, start by slowing down
Try slowing down everything – how you move, drive, think.
Live more simply and with intention, rather than living in the land of too much.
Too much of what, you ask?
Well, pretty much everything! Too much stuff, too much stress, too much on the calendar, in short – too much of things that don’t really matter.
Include only what is near and dear to your heart, and disregard the rest.
It sounds so simple, but I found it quite challenging… maybe if I’d been more mindful and present along the way, it would’ve been easier. But I got caught up in the hustle culture.
I never stopped along the way to sit in the quiet of my thoughts for a few minutes and decide if this way of life was actually serving me.
If I had, I would’ve realized the need for change long ago. Instead, this simple concept became very hard for me as I dug deeper into my busy lifestyle.
2. Set boundaries, and guard them fiercely
I think my people-pleasing disposition got me into this mess. For years I had been agreeing to attend and participate in things that felt like too much for me.
It got a little tricky once I got married and we had two sets of families to visit. And it got especially hard once I had my first child. Everyone wants to see the baby at Christmas! I wasn’t good at saying no, especially to some of the closest people in my life.
So I would go along with all the things that were asked of my little family, in an attempt to make everyone else happy.
One year when my daughter was very little, I remember having one or two commitments every single day from Christmas Eve until New Year’s. Every single day! With a baby for crying out loud.
Where did that get me?
Well, pretty darn resentful, exhausted, and extremely sick. My daughter got sick, too. Of course, she would – around tons of people, no naps and up late every night.
It was ridiculous! And you know what? It still wasn’t enough. That’s when I learned I will never make everyone happy, and it’s really not my job to do so.
It was time to start putting myself first and politely declining the things that felt like too much.
Preserving my peace of mind was something that could no longer be pushed aside.
At first, it felt a little selfish. But if you do not advocate for yourself, then who will? It was about time. I politely put my foot down and brushed off the passive-aggressive comments from a few family members.
I started to realize some of this was more about them than it was about me.
It’s okay to set boundaries – it’s actually extremely healthy to do so.
A little friendly warning here – sometimes you’ll get pushback when you start setting boundaries, especially if this is new for you – the people around you will be confused, maybe even a little annoyed, but stand your ground!
Only you know what’s best for you. Set those boundaries and guard them fiercely, my friends. It is so worth it.
3. Don’t forget to rest
Decide what you realistically have the time and energy for this season.
And remember, it might look different from year to year, depending on what you have going on.
Did you just have a baby? Are you or a loved one recovering from an illness? Did you recently go through a bad break-up? Your life events will determine how much capacity you have.
Remember, the holidays are usually busier than normal, so you might need to set aside extra downtime to rest in order to feel good and enjoy the festivities.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how much of an introvert I am. I enjoy gathering with family and friends, but I’ve learned I need time and space to rest in between.
So now, I schedule that in. For example, I always make December 26th a day of rest.
Christmas Eve and Christmas are a lot for me, and I need a break to decompress afterwards.
I look forward to a quiet day of reading a book by the fire so very much after several full days of calling on family and friends.
How about you? What are some ways you can include days of rest into your calendar during the holidays? What do you enjoy doing to unwind?
- P.S how to truly rest and enjoy relaxing
- Tips to design a restful home environment
4. Simplify your schedule
Try not to overcommit this holiday season.
Decide what means the most to you this year, and do that.
You don’t have to attend every party! You might need to repeat that one a few times to yourself…choose the one(s) that matter most and leave room for downtime so you can feel your best.
Also, is there anything you can push until after the holiday season is over? I try to move anything non-essential away from December.
I had a routine doctor’s appointment two weeks before Christmas last year. Why on Earth did I do that???
After being a little hard on myself for the poor planning, I gave myself some grace and realized that it was all okay.
I chose to look at it as a learning experience.
As I sat in the waiting room at the doctor’s that day, I realized this was not what I wanted to be doing with my time so close to the holidays, and vowed to do things differently next year.
5. Be Intentional with gift-giving
Be intentional with your time, your energy and your resources.
I embrace Intentional Giving, especially during the holidays. I intentionally donate to and volunteer with charities that are important to me.
As far as giving gifts to family and friends….I only buy useful, meaningful gifts for those whom I still exchange with.
I’ve paired that list down a lot. For example, instead of buying each other Christmas presents, my best friend and I go out for a special lunch each December.
We look forward to it all year long! We go to a restaurant that is impeccably decorated and enjoy a cosy, leisurely lunch.
I can think of nothing more luxurious than that – it is truly the perfect gift and we look forward to that quality time together.
I personally don’t feel the need to buy something for everyone I know.
I no longer buy gifts for most of the adults in my life.
None of us need much anyway, so we reserve gift-giving for the kids.
I’ve learned kids do better in a decluttered, simple environment so I am mindful of that and try not to purchase lots of “stuff” just to be unwrapped and never looked at again.
Experiences for kids are great!
Even if it’s just one-on-one time with each child – they’ll love that and will remember it longer than they will any toy.
It’s also a great time of year to be intentional about donating your time and money to charities so that others less fortunate can enjoy a nice holiday season as well.
If your kids are old enough, get them involved with this as it’s an invaluable experience for them and will teach them to be more thoughtful and considerate of others as they get older.
To me, this is the true meaning of the season.
6. Have Fun!
Lastly, embrace the festive spirit of the season and make it your mission to lighten up and have fun at the holidays and beyond.
Although the commitments and responsibilities of life can get heavy at times, it doesn’t have to be such a grind.
Do your holiday chores and rituals with joy in your heart. It comes but once a year, so enjoy this season with intention and love in your heart.
If you’ve been stressed about the upcoming season, I hope this article has left you feeling a bit better, a little calmer, more peaceful and most importantly, encouraged that you can make changes to support the life you want to be living.
A simple holiday season is within reach! You can absolutely make some small changes in your life right now, that will create big results towards living the simple, intentional life you deserve.
Choose one of the suggestions here that feels easiest to implement right now, and just start!
Smile, be thankful for the blessings in your life, and go out and enjoy them to the fullest. I wish you every happiness and much peace during the holidays and always.
You might also like:
- How to give gifts in a culture where everyone already buys everything they want
- How to slow down: 8 simple practices
- 14 ways to relax after a stressful day
- 15 things to get rid of to simplify life
