Isn’t it absolutely amazing how quickly the holidays are approaching? This year has flashed by in a blink of an eye! So, let me ask you a question. When you think of the approaching holidays, are you emotionally filled with excitement or absolute stress? If you are feeling stressed, take note of this; because you need to take care of this! You are too blessed to be stressed and the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, not just endured or absolutely dreaded. Commit to taking action this holiday season so you won’t feel as stressed; so you can actually enjoy the holidays. So how are you going to do this? Well, a commitment needs to be made to stop doing certain things! Get ready to write these tips down or print them out. And share them with all your friends and family. Let’s stop the craziness of the holidays, by NOT doing the following 10 things!
10 Things You Absolutely Need To Stop Doing This Holiday Season
- Trying To Do It All – The gifts. The shopping. The decorating. The cooking. Stop the craziness trying to do it all. Commit this year to releasing some control. Delegate what can be done by others. You will thank yourself for it.
- Spending Money You Don’t Have – Commit to not going into debt for buying holiday gifts. If you don’t have it, don’t spend it. Focus on creating great experiences and memories instead!
- Spending Long Periods of Time with Toxic People – We’ve all got those people in our lives that are negative, toxic people. Just because it’s the holidays, it doesn’t mean it’s okay for those people to bring you down! Commit to not letting those negative, toxic people get to you and ideally, really limit the time they are around you!
- Not Working Out – The holidays are no excuse to putting your workouts aside! Commit to either doing a little extra each day or being sure to at least schedule a workout as part of your day. Keep those healthy habits going because it’s more important as you indulge more in high calorie treats during the holiday season.
- Taking Care of Everyone Else and Forgetting About You – It’s absolutely awesome to take care of those around you, but don’t forget about YOU! Remember that in
order for you to really take care of everyone else in your life, you must take really great care of yourself in life.
- Being a Perfectionist – Let me give you the reality. Things are going to go wrong during the holidays! The food might overcook; your guests might be late; something might break. Forget about perfectionism. You are too blessed to be stressed. Focus on what is going right and for the challenging parts? Take a few breaths and do your best to go with the flow of things.
- Saying ‘Yes” to Activities That You Are Not Looking Forward To – Just because it is the holiday season, it doesn’t mean you have to give up your life for everyone else. I want you to look closely at all the invites you are given and only say ‘yes’ to those activities that will fill your life with happiness. If it’s not an absolute ‘yes’ consider not doing it or really limiting the time you attend.
- Spending the Holidays Alone – I know the holidays can be a hard time emotionally for many people. Many have lost loved ones and the holidays are just not the same without them. But being alone only makes the feelings that you have even more profound. Commit to not spending it alone this year. Surround yourself with those that love you, even if it’s just a few people. Or volunteer! It is often said that the best cure to cheer yourself up is to cheer someone else up. Keep connected this holiday season.
- Spending Hours Upon Hours Cooking – Stop spending hours upon hours cooking, not taking the opportunity to enjoy the company that has come to visit with you. Do what you can to cut back on the elaborate parts of preparing the meal. Perhaps ask everyone to bring a dish to the meal! In the end, people remember the memories that have been created not the hours you spent in the kitchen.
- Being Unrealistic about the Holidays – Have a positive outlook on this holiday season! But be realistic about everything. Just like life in general, challenges will come up. Just remember this as things move along.
As quickly as the holidays approach, they seem to fly on by! Make this the year to really live in the present and thoroughly enjoy the holidays. **I would love to hear your thoughts about the upcoming holidays and how YOU are going to commit to eliminating some things, so you can enjoy the holidays! Give me a shout out! And Happy Holidays to you!
This article was originally shared on http://lifeloveandmusic.net Check out their fantastic website today![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Cynthia!!! I love this blog!! It is so true!! WE focus so much on presents, gifts, cooking, and all the materialistic items of Christmas and not the true meaning! WE put so much stress on ourselves during the holiday season! I am and will commit to these top 10 things! I really need to throw in their to workout. That area needs improvement! Tis is the season to be jolly!
Yay Jessica!!! I am SO glad you are committing to not doing these 10 things! Cheers to you for a fantastic holiday season!
As women we try hard to organize and do it all. That is part of our nature. During the holidays we carry an extra work load trying to prepare and perfect everything to pull off the perfect Norman Rockwell event.
This article is packed with lots of great advice. We need to know that we cannot handle everything and that is okay. There are so many modern helps we can bring in to make things go more smoothly and we do not have to do it all.
Jody
Thank you so much Jody for your comments! I appreciate it and I am grateful to be connected with you. I wish you the best holidays!!!
Cynthia this blog is spot on! Many people get lost in the confusion of it all with having to do so much that they end up missing the real point. The holidays is a time for celebration, not perfection. Every single point you mentioned is important, from not spending money you don’t have to not trying to do everything yourself. There a few points in there that apply to myself and this year, I’ll be taking your advise!! Thank you my friend for a post well written!!
Thank you Linda for your comments! I am so glad you enjoyed my blog and will putting into action some things that you need to ‘not’ do! I appreciate you very much and wish you a fantastic holiday!
Excellent blog post, Cynthia, and your timing is perfect!! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I actually try to slow down and really enjoy all of the people in my life during this time and think about why they are each special to me. The part that really jumped out at me was limiting time with toxic people. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much Nicole for your comments. I am so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, stay away from those toxic peeps! I wish you and your entire family a happy, healthy holiday season!!
All great stuff here Cynthia! As for me, I never get stressed during the holidays. As you mention numerous times, “Too Blessed To Be Stressed.” I always look forward to spending time with family and friends each holiday season. Saying NO is difficult at times, but very necessary. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas to you and your family 🙂
Thanks Geoff for your comments. We are too blessed to be stressed! I appreciate you my friend and wish you the BEST holiday season. You are awesome!
Hi Cynthia!
Once again you have submitted an appropriate, timely and provocative blog! You hit home on every one! These should actually be your “TOP 10 Things You Absolutely Need To Stop Doing This Holiday Season!” 🙂 A couple of observations to add are to consider giving a donation to a loved ones’ favorite charity or place of worship instead of that package of socks, Holiday sweater or that ugly tie, and send them a handwritten note to let them know. Also, your thoughts on “being alone” were very much right on, and those of us who will not be alone can challenge ourselves to invite someone who is alone or is a shut-in during the Holiday’s. We can truly brighten their day! 🙂
Have a marvelous day my friend!
Dale
Wow you are spot on with the way so many of us feel during the holidays. Unfortunately, we put so much stress on ourselves and miss out on what’s important. I’m looking forward to the holidays and will definitely be putting each of your tips to use! Great blog as usual Cynthia!
Thank you once again Cynthia for this great post. Sometimes it can be very stressful in thinking about how quickly this holiday season upon us. Our Christmas is filled with volunteering our family time to those agency’s in need of assistance in feeding families at soup kitchens,and the like, wrapping gifts for Toy mountain, singing Christmas carols at the Children’s hospital, homes of those less fortunate, nursing homes, etc… There is such a loving feeling in working with those most vulnerable,and less fortunate. There is no time like the present to be involved with those in our own communities. The holiday season is a time for all to feel loved and remembered. When baking we always make extra for women’s shelters for the mom’s and their young children. Our own family has committed to creating Pot Luck dinners and gatherings. This way we all get enjoy our holiday cheers together, less work for everyone, and our time together is a most memorable one. Our favorite is our outdoor family planned activities, skating, sleigh rides, tobogganing with the kids, making snowmen together.Family time is precious especially during the holiday season. If you know someone who is alone during the holidays, welcome them along,or bring them a meal, focus on blessings, and spend money wisely!!!
Jackie, you are an amazing woman, giving so much of yourself to others. They are truly blessed to have you. I appreciate you! Be sure to take care of yourself Jackie! Happy Holidays!!!
And Cindy “nails” it again! Your 10 reminders hit home with me once again. May we all do what it takes to have a relaxing, memorable and wonderful holiday season this year by trying to eliminate the stressful things only we cause ourselves…
Thanks for your awesome comments Wendy! I appreciate YOU. Here’s to a wonderful holiday season!
Nice post Cindy and very wise words. You are right about perfectionism and pushing our own routines to one side, like the gym, to accomodate the magic of the christmas season.
I love your quote ‘You are too blessed to be stressed’
I personally am looking forward to the holiday season as I will be lying on a Mauritian beach stressing about whether to order another Long Island Ice Tea or not….THAT’S the way to do it my friend 😉
All the best
Dave
You rock Dave for beaching it during the holiday season! Enjoy and cheers! Happy Holidays!
Cynthia, this is definitely my favorite time of the year. While I could comment on each of things you listed, I am going to focus in on 2 of them.
#3 on the list is about not spending too much time with toxic people. Unfortunately there are those “Grinches” out there that for some reason love to walk around this time of the year and spread negativity. While I definitely try to limit the time I spend around those people, I also do my best to turn the tables on them and spread my “Holiday Cheer” into them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. Regardless, they will not bring me down during this amazing time of the year.
#7 on the list is saying yes to activities that you do not look forward to. I have already started to receive invitations to all sorts of Holiday Events. While I would love to attend them all there is just no way I can do so. It would spread me too thin and definitely add un-needed stress to my life. While I used to feel bad about saying NO, I have learned that it is okay to say NO every once in a while. I now look at what events/activities are the most important and only attend those.
Thanksgiving next week and Christmas less than a month after that! I can’t wait!
Way to go Adam! I love how you are taking charge of your holidays! You’ve got this! Happy Holidays my friend. Let’s make it a great season! You are appreciated!
Love this post, Cynthia! If everyone followed your advice, we’d truly be in the holiday spirit!
Like many others, I have mixed emotions about the holidays because the first thing I think of is: decorating the house! I have tons of decorations and it usually takes about 2 days to fully decorate because I’ve always loved the idea of “going all out.”
This year, however, I’m not opening one single box of decorations! Not to be grinch, but we’re in Arizona over Christmas and have no plans for a holiday party so …. why not give myself a much-needed break? I’m sure next year I’ll have parties planned, and dinners, and lunches, etc.
But this is one year I’m taking off….and it feels really good!
Woohoo LaRae! I love that you are giving yourself a break. Well deserved my friend! Happy Holidays!
I really needed this – especially reminding me to exercise and take care of myself during the holidays. It’s so easy to get stressed then try and pass it off as “just the way it has to be”. Life is too short to be miserable during such a magical time of year. I’m resolved (and before New Years no less!) to maintain not gain. This year I look forward to feeling better about myself after the holidays instead of worse!
Tracy, thank you so much for your comments! Yes, it is so important for us to take care of ourselves during the holiday season! I love your statement…’maintain not gain’. I wish you very Happy Holidays my friend!
Hell yeah….
It is so easy to forget that sometimes we need to just ‘take it easy’, savour what we have and stop worrying about what we don’t. As the song says – The best things in life are free. Holiday season is the time to relax, recharge and rekindle those little things we have taken for granted, or even lost our way with. The things that just ask of our time, rather than demand it. The things that when we look back we will always regret not doing more of.
Take some time away and just have some wonderful days. Simple really.
Marc, great comments! I appreciate your words of wisdom. Cheers to a wonderful holiday season!
Cynthia has got it spot on. We all need to take this into account during the Festive period. We all live different lives but adhering to her guidance will ensure that it doesn’t turn into the end of year nightmare which for many is just what happens.
Good luck and Happy Holidays to you all.
Thanks so much Aubrey for your comments! I wish you a very happy holiday season! Cheers!
Hi Cynthia, EXCELLENT Points & Post – You Hit the Nail on the Head!!! I smiled as I read your Post, because I could relate to All 10 Things on your List, at various times in my life 🙁 It’s sad but true how your List becomes the metrics we use to ensure Great Holidays.
I LOVE your phrase “You are too blessed to be stressed!” Sounds like a song/jingle 🙂 This year I vow to Stop Doing #5 and #7 on your List.
Thanks for sharing Cynthia (aka TheSmartChic) and Wishing you Blessed No-Stress Holidays!
Jandis
Thanks so much Jandis for your comments. We are absolutely “too blessed to be stressed”! 😉 I am very grateful to be connected with you. I wish you the best for the holidays!
Wonderful advice Cynthia! It’s so easy to get stressed out over the holidays and forget about what they are actually about. Thanks for reminding us to slow down and savor the moments!
Thank you so much Rick for your comments. I appreciate you very much and I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday!
This is awesome,Cynthia!
Such a great reminder! You are so right. It’s so easy to get caught up in the craziness, forgetting it’s the season to be jolly and merry!
“Too blessed to be stressed” hit home big time! Counting my many blessings and greeting the holiday season with gratitude and joy. My take-home message from your blog: the best gift is always the gift of love…and that starts by taking good care of ourselves.
Thanks for sharing the spirit of the holidays! I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Cherish & enjoy your moments!
Giovanni
Great post Cynthia!
You’re so right. The Holidays are for creating memories and spending time with people close to you. Stressing during these days, what should be fun days, are going to keep you from enjoying it, which is not good. Stop stressing and start Enjoying! 🙂 It will all work out just fine!
Wishing you all super FAB Holidays!!! 🙂
Cheers,
Franca