How I Stay Simple During the Holidays
The holidays feel like more, more, more. During a time of the year that it feels natural to slow down, we all speed up. Here are ways I find the calm in the chaos.
I don’t worry about sending cards. I try to connect instead with each person that I haven’t talked to in a while with a text message or a call to wish them well. Everyone receives so many cards already and I feel like I’d rather save the paper and the energy of the post office for another time. It’s not about cutting out the cards, it’s just about picking one task that I feel can be eliminated and saving the time.
I make sure to carve out time to myself. Even if this is just a jog, a nap or time spent alone in a quiet room, I find it ever more important to have these moments during a time that can feel a little overwhelming with friends and family.
I give experiences as gifts. Instead of buying more and more items to ship or wrap, I try to think of experiences and give tickets or passes instead. It gives the recipient something to look forward to and cuts down on the energy, again, required to make it all happen.
This year, with the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas so limited, I stuck to all no-bake cookie recipes…like these peanut butter balls.
I sleep more. The extra darkness this time of year makes me lethargic and requires more sleep. So, I listen to that and head to bed earlier.
I keep the notifications off. They will ramp up big time, so I stick to this method.
