Although the songs indicate it is the most wonderful time of the year, I also find it to be completely overwhelming. Last year, I nearly called off Christmas all together when it was days before the 25th December and I hadn’t even sent out my cards yet. This year is no better, as my work is still full-on and I am fundraising for VLM (my goal was to get most of it done before my running training started in January). This time of year, I am also a single mom for Oldland because my husband has an annual 10 day work trip to Morocco.
What’s a person to do? Here are my tips on surviving December:
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| Oldland and I on a walk |
- Learn to say no– whether it is another holiday drinks invite, friends looking for a place to stay, invitation to take part in a secret Santa, or a holiday pot luck, put your own needs first for once. Be honest and say you are feeling overwhelmed and can’t help out right now.
- Compromise- offer to meet for drinks at a time and place that suits you, set a limit on how many days guests can stay at your flat, or buy ready made food.
- Spend a day in bed watching movies and eatin junk food– I hereby give you permission to do this. Once in a great while won’t kill you.
- Walk more– if you can’t get to the gym or whatever your usual exercise of choice is, take time to enjoy a walk to slow down a bit and clear your head.
- Sleep– for some reason, this is always the area of our lives we cut back on when we have too much to do. Sleeping more will improve your mood, make you less hungry, and help deuce the stress hormone which increases the likelihood of abdominal fat accumulation.
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| Nearly sleepy time |
- Limit drinks– sure you want to get your money’s worth out of the open bar, but is it worth it the next day when you have a throbbing headache and can’t get anything done on your to-do list. This tip has taken me many years to perfect.
- Ask for experiences rather than stuff– less clutter can lead to calming environment. Accumulate memories rather than dust and skip the return lines!
- Hire help– to do housework, pay for the dry cleaner to catch u up on laundry, to assemble your new idea furnature. Your time is valuable. Delegate out a few menial jobs to your partner or to hired help.
- Turn off social media– get over FOMO and live in the moment as you celebrate the holidays with family and friends.
What other suggestions do you have to avoid over-committing? How do you keep sane in December? Leave a comment below and let me know.
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