How to do LESS this Holiday Season

Anyone other than me feeling the need to just SKIP the 2020 Holiday season? Just thinking about it makes my heart race a little. It’s TWENTYTWENTY so what madness will the holidays bring? Will my tree fall over this year? Will all my holiday cards get returned because the post office is out of business? Will we all get food poisoning from my undercooked turkey? Will Santa get stuck in our cabin’s chimney? Will the reindeer put a hole in the roof? Will we have COVID this year? (This one is a reasonable question!)

So I am starting to think and to plan now: How can I reduce the stress of the holidays this season? Here are some things I am considering, and maybe you can add a few of these to your list if the thought releases that tension in your shoulders!

1.     No cards. Nada. If there was ever a year to let this one go, 2020 is IT.

2.     No elf. Truthfully, we didn’t buy into it because, just… no thank you friend.

3.     No to long distance family gatherings. They are stressful enough as it is, (although FUN), but this year, not going.

4.     No fancy wrapping. Unless this brings you great JOY, like my friend Amy, just slap a bow on, to and from with a sharpie and be done.

5.     No getting the kids everything they want. Use the 4 gift rule: something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. Done.

6.     No one else this year. Just us. Core family unit. Eat some breakfast, open some presents, play with them, get outside, come in and eat some more. Simple.

7.     No extended family gifts. You may want to have this discussion in advance, but just put them on pause this year. Ahhh.

8.     No attending last minute events. Pick a handful of events in advance (that is key) and only attend those. Maybe top 3, and that’s it.

9.     No doing anything that does not spark “JOY” in the season. If you don’t like to cook, order out. If you love baking, cookies for everyone. Find the joy and do those things.

10.  No excessive decorations. (See also #9) For me, I’m going for about a third to a quarter our “normal” amount of decorations, and not feeling bad about it one bit.

11.  No skipping routines that keep you healthy, sane, and lower stress. I’m looking at you exercise. I will keep my exercise routines consistent, and listen to my body.

12.  No putting myself last. I will incorporate some self-care into my holidays. For me, this includes some massage, outside time, journaling, and Christmas candles.

13.  No dwelling on the negative. I will practice gratitude daily (hi, journal!) and NOT compare myself or our family to what amazing things other families are doing on social.

14.  No rushing around. I will schedule downtime into my calendar so that I have time to relax and rest and recharge. This will be unstructured time for reading, walking, or staring off into the woods.

15.  No homemade gifts. I’m just going to pretend that this is something I used to do.

16.  No last minute “adds” to the gift list. Even if the neighbor brings over a gift basket full of wine, cheese, chocolate and goodness. I will say thank you and Merry Christmas!

17.  No trying to control everything. I will expect the unexpected and not catch myself off-guard. I cannot predict what will happen this season, so I will remain open to change.

18.  No going over the Christmas budget. With less gifts, this should be an easier one. I will have to resist the urge to shop those last minute sales.

19.  No making it all about us. We will find an opportunity to help- gifts or meals for those in need, this year these opportunities should be even easier to find.

20.  No skipping alone time. I will find time to spend with myself, just loving on myself or doing things I love.

21.  No going it alone. Just like the lyrics say, “It’s ok not to be ok.” And then, I will reach out to a friend and share how and why I’m not ok, and not call myself a burden.

22.  No saying yes to things I do not want to do. I have to learn to say no and create boundaries for myself and my family if I want to stress less.

23.  No aiming for perfection. I must let go of anything and everything not being just perfect. I will remember that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful!

24.  No doing it all myself. (See #23) I will delegate some things that my husband or kids can do to them, so that I am not doing everything that’s holiday related.

25.  No, and I mean NO! beating myself up over things looking different than usual. It’s ok to feel disappointed. It’s ok for my KIDS to feel disappointed. It’s a different year, and maybe, just maybe, we will embrace the simplicity as a new normal and come to love the holidays even MORE.

“Let’s give ourselves and each other permission to spend less, do less, and stress less throughout the holidays so we can enjoy the real gifts of the season.”