Slow Down to Bump the Holiday Blues

I painted my nails for the first time in a very long time. They look beautiful. I deliberately forced myself to sit down and paint them. I also had to keep my hands free so that I would not mess my nails up. As a result, I spent a quiet hour or so doing nothing but sitting still and relaxing.

What is your priority?

Your holiday to – do list is several pages long. When you look at it, do you feel overwhelmed? Enjoyable holiday seasons can be ruined by unrealistic, hyper-steroidal expectations. We push ourselves to create extravagant events for our family, friends and ourselves. The planning and preparation so often takes away from our own ability to enjoy the reason for the season.

How many times have you felt stressed standing in line for 30 minutes trying to buy that $0.49 per pound turkey? Maybe you left work early trying to beat the crowd, drove across town only to be told that the turkeys were sold out. Have you ever traveled to another county or state to buy the must have toy for your child? What about Black Friday? Who in the world thought an all night shopping spree would be fun?
Okay, so, maybe it is a little fun.

The drudge work will remain

Life still goes on. Just because the holidays are here, it does not mean that all of the other family responsibilities are put on hold so that we only have holiday prep to worry about. We still go to work, pick up the kids, take them to practice, review and sign forms, wash clothes, clean the dishes, cook, clean, etc. Everyday life continues.

The point is doing for your family is not the same as being with your family.

There was a time in our lives, when our children were young, when we did not have the money or financial resources to “buy” them Christmas. We had also experienced major health scares that reminded us that time on this planet is limited for each of us. Because of that, we chose to spend time together, creating memories. We stopped trying to replicate what we were told Christmas should look like. Instead we decided to experience what we wanted the holiday season to feel like.

Do only what you (and they) want

One year I decided that I wouldn’t bake. The family wouldn’t have pound cake or pumpkin pie. I discovered that neither my husband nor daughters cared. They were fine without it. I realized that I baked because I thought it was expected. At one time, maybe it was, but we’ve outgrown the excessive sweets.

Would you like to create meaningful memories for yourself and your family? Would it feel good to get off of the holiday hamster wheel? Whatever we do, we should do it because we want to and because it brings us joy.

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