This time of year is really busy for many of us with the added holiday activities of decorating, purchasing and wrapping gifts, cookie baking, and attending fun holiday events. Unfortunately, all of this goodness can throw us into overwhelm, and impact our ability to enjoy all of the holiday cheer!
Are you feeling the pressure of the holiday season breathing down your neck? I was feeling this way last week when I realized that I was way behind on my annual fondue party prep. Only a few days before the big event, I went into a panic when I looked at the long list of things my husband and I needed to accomplish in such a short time. We needed to find and decorate a tree, hang our outdoor Christmas lights, purchase the ingredients for the party, clean and rearrange the house, and do some of the food prep. And we were both working full days leading up to the party with a social event the night before. To make matters worse, all of this overwhelm was making me cranky and stressed out– not a helpful combination.
After the dust cleared, the party ended, and I regained my composure I realized I could have avoided this entire experience if I had simply remembered to use the following three techniques to avoid overwhelm:
1. Learn to Say “No”. Many of us get overwhelmed by over-committing to others. We accept too many social invitations, volunteer for too many activities, or create too many expectations for ourselves to get things done in a spacious manner. The simple secret to stop over-committing is to get comfortable saying “no” to things. I know this can be a challenge because many of us hate to miss out on an event or are afraid of disappointing others. That said, if you are overcommitted and overwhelmed, you will have difficulty enjoying what you do commit to doing.
Learning to say “no” is about checking in with yourself to see how excited you are about the activity or commitment. If you are not excited and feel that it is more of a should than a want, then this is a good thing to say “no” to. The more you say “no”, the easier it gets.
So, what could you say “no” to this holiday season to free up your time, and help you truly enjoy the holiday season?
2. Delegate To Others. Delegating some of your long to-do list is the fastest way to get out of overwhelm and into enjoying whatever you have scheduled. Delegating frees up your time, and helps you spend better quality time with your loved ones. Many people have trouble delegating for two reasons: 1) they feel that it is frivolous to pay someone to do things they can do themselves 2) and they don’t trust others to do the task. Ever felt like you can’t pay someone to clean your house because the money would be better spent on something else? Ever had the thought that your partner or your children can’t wrap gifts or clean the house well enough, so you better do it yourself? Combatting overwhelm involves learning to let others help out and releasing yourself from the need to micromanage every holiday task. Allowing others to assist not only eases your workload but also fosters moments of quality time with loved ones.
3. Pre-planning. By pre-planning you can add spaciousness to your schedule. My recommendation would be to sit down with a calendar and determine how many events you want to participate in during the holiday season. Get these events scheduled on your calendar way in advance and say “no” to any event that shows up after your calendar gets full. Also, pre-plan to get help for busy times of the year. For instance, budget in money for a housecleaner to clean your home the week before Christmas. Or give your family members a list of items for them to help you accomplish in the month of December. The more you plan, the more in control you will feel of your calendar and your life, leading to increased feelings of enjoyment.
By applying the three techniques above, you can combat the stress and get back to fully embracing the warmth and joy of the holiday season!
If you are feeling overwhelmed, and need some help getting more into joy, set up a time for us to chat on my calendar: https://go.oncehub.com/MargotZaher
I wish you a stress-free and joyful holiday season!
Margot
