HANDLING Your Holiday Hustle

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Just in case you had not noticed, Thanksgiving is next week (less than 5 days away), and Christmas will speedily arrive at our doorsteps in less than 50 days.  I don’t know about you, but I watched the stores and supermarkets dress their shelves with holiday ornamentation at or around Halloween.  Which if you ask me, is just shameless for several reasons.  Commercialism notwithstanding, it really does not allow for any of us to enjoy the beauty and spirit of the season. For some reason we tend to overlook the other special holidays in between, like Veteran’s Day, etc. I mean, we can trick or treat in October, right? All the subliminal (and not so subtle) messaging causes a lot of us to hurtle into the future months far in advance, thus adding even more worry and stress to our days.

To be honest, perhaps I can keep holiday groundwork and celebrating in perspective because during these special days, I am the Lone Ranger.  I am hardly as engaged into decorating trees and putting up wreathes as some of my other friends. As the single gal in my family, I am savoring my solitude and binge-watching Hallmark and Lifetime movies with hot cocoa in hand during the holidays.  When I do holiday hop, I am driving to homes filled with kids and visiting family and guests, which means I am stepping into the results of massive preparations and spending.  Admittedly, I empathize for hosts and hostesses who rarely get a chance to enjoy their guests because they appear too exhausted to laugh.  I think it was the Thanksgiving dessert affair of 2018 when I watched my friend-host dose off the moment she sat down to play a game of charades with her guests. Can you say, “exhausted”?

The holidays are such a merry time, but it seems from September to December, it becomes a blur of chaos.  Accordingly, I offer you a few quick and handy tips to make your holidays a lot less hectic so you can get a chance to enjoy the season with thanksgiving and love.

• It’s all about timing.   Give yourself extra time.  Not only for the planning but for the traveling you will be doing.  There are more people and traffic everywhere.  It means longer lines in the stores and less parking in the lots.  So, allow more time to get from place to place.  Personally, I am the morning person who appreciates getting up and out as early as possible to get to the supermarkets or The Dollar Tree.  To be honest, since the pandemic, supermarkets have been opening a lot earlier than usual to accommodate the crowds.  I enjoy getting my Starbucks iced coffee and driving to each location without the overwhelming competition for prime parking.  

• Plan your budget.   Yes, like in everything in life, budgeting does apply to holiday preparations and gift giving.  Each year, I write my list of persons in my life for whom I plan a gift.  I tend to group my budget into different categories – family, friends, and co-workers.  It truly makes the process easier when it comes to making those purchases.   This is truly a tough one for me because I earmark Christmas to be the one holiday, I go over the top for my loved ones.  To help ease this annual indulgence, I have an account in which a set dollar amount from each paycheck is dedicated to Christmas shopping.  By the time the holiday shopping season begins, I am financed with a year’s worth of dollars.  AND I keep to that budget.   Another helpful tip is to discuss in advance a limit or type of gift you are exchanging that holiday season.  For example, my dearest girl friends get together for our annual dinner and gift exchange.  This year, we decided to keep to a $10 limit for this year’s gifts to each other.  Frankly, it may be the toughest thing to do because it calls for us to be far more creative about what will bring a smile to our faces.  It may work for you, too!

• Stick with your plan & Trust your gut.  Creating practical to-do lists will do wonders for your mental state and will not drive you crazy.  Organize your days.  Make a list for each day, if necessary.  Keep these lists to practical and simple tasks.  Beginning in September, I assign each Saturday to some aspect in my planning.  One Saturday is for getting my baking needs.  So, on the days before, I am pulling out the items I need and jotting down what is needed to make my rum balls or Christmas cupcakes.  Another Saturday can be my decorations day.  I get into my garage and make note of what I have and may need to replenish or add to the lights or ornaments for the tree.  Using these handy lists will help prevent your to-do list from turning into a devastating wish list.  Finally, be confident about your plans.  These are your lists.  These are your plans.  Try to keep them realistic and manageable.  If you stick to them, they will not seem too far out of reach to accomplish.  I cannot tell you how often I had to look at my list, check it twice and tell myself to stop when I see myself veering off the list.  

• Breathe, you did good!  There is nothing that gets the holidays off on the wrong footing than trying to do everything by yourself or all in one day.  You will burn yourself out.  Be strategic.  Think about what really needs to get done and give yourself a flexible and manageable due date.  Finally, look around at all the decorations and the full (and hopefully organized) pantry and allow yourself to take it all in.  Celebrate the small achievements.  You did good!  You did it within a budget!  You did not have to break the bank and overspend.  You did it without any road rage involved.

More than anything, the holidays are meant to share with the one you love your care and affections for them.  Let your family and friends know that they matter to you.  Nothing says, “I love you” then spending hassle-free time with them with great conversations and loads of laughs.  I get it, the hustle and bustle during this time of year is part of the special activities involved but it need not be about overdoing it, either. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The Good News: If you use prayer as a means for comfort, God will provide you with peace of mind. Be sure to thank him once your worries subside

Philippians 4:6-7

Like in everything else in life, when you are sensing anxiety or stress creeping in, light a scented candle, turn off the noise, and recite to yourself the focus for this season.  It’s about the birth of Jesus Christ.  It’s about celebrating new beginnings and achievements.  It’s about reflecting on what you and your family have managed to overcome this past year.  It’s about anticipating what God may have in store for you in the days ahead.  It’s about claiming victories in your life and in the lives of your loved ones.  Think about it…what is the primary focus for your holidays this year?

Navigating the holidays must include the smiles and joy associated with the spirit of the season – nothing more, nothing less.  Spending more on the anxieties of the next day, next week, or next month is taking time away from you enjoying the moment right now. To me, it is the root goal of the world, to distract you from enjoying your present; the gift of today. I dare you to take a moment to soak it all in with as little stress as possible.  And, if no one has said it to you lately, as we enter the Thanksgiving time of year, “You matter!”  I thank God for you, and I pray God’s best over your life.  Remember give your thanks…in all things.

…now what, Linda