The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, filled with joy, cheer, and gratitude in abundance. Everywhere you look, people seem to be in high spirits: being kind to one another, taking time to pause and reflect, and taking care of the less fortunate.
On the flip slide, the holidays can also become a source of overwhelm with work parties, buying gifts, family commitments, and, of course, the endless barrage of homemade cookies, tinned popcorn, and casseroles that you should avoid.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed and unhappy with yourself during the holidays, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Make a commitment to take care of yourself this holiday season. My advice for you to enjoy this holiday is not to plan too much for it. Let events unfold naturally and just concentrate on enjoying every moment. We spend the whole year planning and working according to schedules and plans, allowing this time to be unplanned, and just going with the flow and having fun.
Earlier this year I posted an article about having fun and I wished everyone a fun-filled year. This is how we are going to enjoy our festive holiday, by having fun. Clear your mind of goals, schedules, and routines, this is a time for you to be spontaneous. Have a child-like fun-filled festive holiday. You can even join in kids’ games if you have to. Allow yourself to feel crazy and stupid, nobody will judge you, the time requires that. After all, It’s a time to distress and be worry-free.
Just let go and be a free spirit. Do things you have never done before, try dishes you have never tried before. Embark on long drives with no particular destination in mind, stop at every lay bye, play some music, dance, and celebrate. Crash on others’ parties you meet along the way, the more the merrier. Just go on an adventure of fun and if you can, do take a lot of photos because when all else is done, they are what will remain to stir your memories.
Holidays often bring us the pressure that we should give and sometimes buying gifts ends us more stressed and worried to the extent of not even enjoying the holidays. Especially during this festive season, other holidays are no exception. I have written down a few pointers below that can help you enjoy this festive season.
7 Ways to enjoy the holiday
1. Do not get into debt
If you do not have the money, find other ways of giving without spending. If you don’t have money, your loved ones will understand and if they don’t, they are not worth you getting into debt for. Do not overeat, overdrink or overspend. Moderation is key. There are consequences for debt that will nag you for the next coming months and spoil your new year. Make a Christmas budget if you have to, to avoid impulse spending that will leave you in debt.
2. Plan a home family gathering
Nothing beats the celebration of our victories and commiseration of our losses with those close to us. Do not make unnecessary, expensive travel arrangements if you can’t afford it. Just plan a home family gathering or a cheap picnic at the park or beach. Nature always has a way of giving us the best memories, play around it.
3. Do not crack your head planning, simple is better
There is so much beauty in simple and unplanned things if you allow yourself to enjoy them. Less can be more if enjoyed with gratitude. You don’t have to attend every event you are invited to and that’s okay, don’t pressurize yourself.
4. Share responsibilities
If you try to be superman or superwoman, chances are you will not even enjoy the holiday. Share responsibilities with others and you will be left with time to enjoy the holiday. You don’t need to be involved with cleaning, cooking, and serving meals. Everybody can play a part or even during family gatherings, you can do a bring-and-share kind of thing. Someone brings appetizers, someone desserts, someone snacks, someone drinks, etc. Ask for help, it never kills!
5. Do not overburden yourself
You cannot attend to every invitation but that’s okay. You can only drive so long, spend so much, and attend a turnout for certain invitations. It’s okay to pass on certain commitments such as certain weddings, parties, etc. Do only what you can handle.
6. Just do you
Do not bring sorrow upon yourself by comparing your holiday to those of others. After all, nothing is ever as it seems to be from the outside. Just do what works for you and enjoy it. Do what makes you happy, that’s all that matters in the end.
7. By all means, Stay away from social media
It will put pressure on you and you shall feel left out. You’ll start comparisons and feel depressed. Those perfect holiday pictures are just pictures but the reality is far from what those pictures portray.
In summary, whatever you have to do this festive holiday, make sure you enjoy rather than endure it. Christmas is a time to enjoy, be merry, and be thankful. Don’t get so caught up in the buzz that you forget to enjoy the moment.
We would love to hear from you about your holiday experiences and lessons learned so please, leave a comment for me below, and if you found this useful, may you kindly share it with others.
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