The holidays are upon us and so is the busiest time of the year! Yes, it’s merry and fun. And, yes, the holidays are joyful. But, they are also exhausting. In order to enjoy the holiday season, busy moms need to put finding time to rest at the top of their priority list!
Get that skeptical look off your face 😉
I know, I know… busy moms don’t have time for downtime. Especially not during the holidays! There are gifts to buy, houses to decorate, cookies to bake for class parties, outfits to find for the office party… the list goes on and on.
But, guess what? I figured out how to prioritize downtime – even during the holidays! And I’m going to share my secrets with you!
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THE IMPORTANT THINGS
In the Peaceful Living Wellness online mini-course From Burnout to Bliss: 5 Simple Steps to Slow Down, Rise Up and Feel More in Control of Your Life we start with creating a list of your values, the things that are most important to you. This is where I recommend starting when it comes to your holiday season schedule as well.
By-the-way, the Burnout to Bliss Mini Course is only $27 and makes a great gift for your friends, your sister or yourself! You can buy it HERE
If the most important thing about the holidays for you is spending time with your family, then give yourself permission to decline party invitations from friends. It’s okay to decline invitations with an explanation that your schedule is feeling very full this holiday season, but you would love to see your friends another time of the year.
On the other hand, if you’ve had quite enough time with your family, and you need a night or two out, by all means party away!
You get the idea: Figure out what is important to you, prioritize those things, and then schedule accordingly.
It’s like Marie Kondo says, “discard everything that does not spark joy!”
TO CARD OR NOT TO CARD
I personally stopped sending holiday cards years ago. Before I had my kiddos it was something I really enjoyed doing. I would even sign my cards from me and my cats! So corny, I know.
But, AK (after kids) I found that the hours I spent writing personalized notes and hand addressing envelopes were spent in the wee hours of the night when I should have been sleeping. Even when I tried to downgrade, so-to-speak, to writing one letter updating everyone on what and how we were doing, I was still losing sleep and feeling resentful.
Joy was definitely NOT SPARKED!
RELATED POST: What Forgoing Christmas Cards Taught Me About Life
I may be talking out of both sides of my mouth here, but the other side of this coin is that I really enjoy reading the holiday update letters from my friends and family. After moving 3000 miles across the country from most of my friends and family it is one way that I still feel connected to them.
If sending holiday update letters is something that you enjoy, please know that there are people who enjoy reading them! Again, this is about figuring out what you value most during the holidays. Staying in touch in this small way, especially if you’re not a big social media person, may be just the right thing for you.
CYBER SHOPPING VS. THE MALL
I love shopping during the holidays! The decorations, the piped-in carols and the general feeling of goodwill are all very fun for me. However, when I think about where this lands on my values priority list, I find that it’s best if I stick to some important self-imposed guidelines:
- I hold the shopping to only one or two shopping trips in the month.
- I also try to embark on my shopping early in December. As the month goes on the stores become much too crowded for my comfort. I avoid Black Friday like the Black Plague!
- I go to the places where I enjoy the ambience. I don’t care for the malls here in Charleston, SC. So I shop on King Street in downtown Charleston or in the historic district of downtown Summerville, the town where I live. Both of these shopping/ restaurant districts are charming and full of holiday cheer.
RELATED POST: Charleston, South Carolina. A Romantic Holiday Getaway.
My husband and I also do most of our gift shopping online. For one thing, our kids are teens and it’s easy to access their Amazon lists and just buy from there. But, we started this tradition when they were little kids. Neither one of us cares for the crowds at the big box stores where most people buy toys. And we can just as easily order delivery from a big box (or any other store) as we can go into the store to buy. Plus, we cuddle-up in bed or on the sofa with the computer and have fun picking things out together.
I use my shopping days to find unique stocking stuffers and small gifts for friends and neighbors. I usually go with a friend, so it’s extra fun because I’m spending time with someone I value. And, there is always a yummy meal or beverage involved!
This style of shopping – spending just one or two outings on holiday gift buying – and doing the rest online is a great way to save time so that you have more time resting and relaxing. Additionally, if getting out during the holidays is not your thing at all, you can do most, if not all, of your shopping online and save even more time!
KEEP IT SIMPLE DECORATING
Keeping things simple does not necessarily mean keeping things minimal. Although, that’s an option too! But, if you like to have holiday cheer around the house through your decorations you can easily do so with simplicity. One of my favorite go-tos for keeping anything simple is, of course, Real Simple Magazine.
(It’s actually one of the inspirations for Peaceful Living Wellness!)
Check out their latest ideas for holiday decorating that takes 5 minutes or less!
What I work with my busy-mom, life-coaching clients on when it comes to anything with their homes (decorating, cleaning, organizing, etc.) is their mindset. More specifically, their people-pleasing mindset. Try asking yourself the following questions when it comes to decorating for the holidays (or anything having to do with your home):
- Are you trying to impress somebody besides yourself and your immediate family?
- Are you competing with friends, neighbors, siblings, etc. for who has the best decorated/ cleanest/ least-cluttered home?
- Are you worried about being criticized by someone about how/ how good your house looks?
- Are you decorating when you should be sleeping?
- Are you forgoing important downtime in order to decorate?
If you answered, “yes,” to any of these questions you need to put down the tinsel and step away from the 24 totes of holiday decorations you feel the need to empty.
Decorate because it’s fun!
Decorate because you love the festive feel of your house!
Your house does not have to look like Santa’s elves threw-up red and green glitter all over it – LOL 🙂
DO NOT decorate to impress your neighbors or YOUR MOTHER!!!
NOW IT’S DOWNTIME
Okay, you’ve figured out what is most important to you. You’ve cleared-up your bustling schedule by only doing the things that spark joy. You’ve politely declined invitations so that you are not exhausted by too much partying. And hopefully you are learning to give-up your ol’ people-pleasing ways!
Now what?
Now it’s time to figure out what you want to do to rest and relax. This is a similar exercise to your values list. Make a list of things you like to do that leave you feeling serene, tranquil and rested.
Maybe you will benefit from a restorative yoga class. Do you like to knit, crochet or do some other sort of needle craft? This type of mindful activity is extremely restful for the brain because of its repetitive nature. Maybe you really need to take a nap!
Give yourself permission to do these things! Your body, your brain and your family will thank you for it. And, perhaps most importantly at this time of year, you will find that you truly enjoy your holiday season.
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For even more support and accountability schedule a FREE 30-Minute Discovery Session with me to see if Peaceful Living Coaching can help you slow down, rise-up and feel more in control of your life!
Wishing You a Peaceful Holiday!
Jen
JEN ROBINSON
Jen Robinson is the creative force behind the wellness brand Peaceful Living Wellness which is dedicated to providing a wide-variety of high-quality wellness information. Jen is also the creator of the Peaceful Living Wellness life coaching division, and offers workshops, individual and group coaching as well as retreats where she guides women in using Mindfulness and Mindset to build their inner strength on a foundation of inner peace. Jen also is the co-creator of the business coaching brand CEO Mindset that guides entrepreneurs in building their businesses without burning out.
The latest addition to her repertoire is that she recently signed-on as the Wellness Director for the business development company Wealthy Women Entrepreneurs . She is very excited to be leading this group of dynamic women entrepreneurs into success in their businesses and lives!
The most important part of Jen’s life are her two very active teenagers, AJ & Layna!
Jen’s Mindfulness and Mindset techniques inform her business, her parenting and her life!
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