4 Things I’m doing now, to reduce Holiday Stress later

Like most of you, I absolutely love the holidays.  Here in Hawaii, we will never have a white Christmas, and it takes a bit of imagination to get into the holiday spirit, but (maybe because of all of that–) our family is ALL IN.  We love everything about the holiday season, and (don’t be judging, but…) we are already playing Christmas music and diving into our favorite Christmas movies.   (Life is too short to limit the best holiday to just one little month a year.)  (Of course you are welcome to {quietly} disagree. 😉 )

But here’s the thing: As much as I love all of the excitement leading up to Christmas–the closer I get to the actual day of Christmas, the more stress — and less joy, I feel.   The magic tends to get lost in the manic, and the sweet anticipation seems to get overruled by to-do lists and busyness.

Even as I type those words I think how awful it sounds.  But it seems to happen every year, so I’d be crazy to think this year will be any different.  Unless, that is…I get intentional and plan ahead in order to do things differently.  So though I’ve never been the most organized or prepared-in-advance type, this year I’m turning over a new leaf.   (If you finished your Christmas shopping in August, you may excuse yourself from the conversation now…)  For the sake of a simpler, happier holiday, here are four things I am planning, in advance this year.  Perhaps you’d like to join me in committing to a few of these as well?

1. Make a Master List Now!

   
   Some people are list-makers, some aren’t;  I’m somewhere in the middle.  But this year I have begun a master list of Christmas-related items that need to get done, AND the date I plan to get them done.  Because, I don’t know about you, but it is all of the thoughts in my head that stress me out, and getting those thoughts on paper automatically lightens my load.

   Everyone has their own style of list-making, but for me:  I am simply writing down everything that comes to mind, then categorizing them.  Roughly, I have things like:   Gifts to buy.  Emails/calls to make.  Social events/RSVP’s.  Cooking.  Decorations, and household… etc. (Since it’s still November, you can keep a separate list for Thanksgiving as well, if that is a big/busy holiday for you.)

   Then I’m tackling what I can in batches.  For example: Making or buying one gift in bulk to have on hand for friends and neighbors is absolutely reasonable, and so much less stressful than trying to pick out a bunch of individual gifts.  And if the whole family pitches in, we can get a lot of decorating or baking done all in one day.   By putting things down on paper, (with the date I plan to complete each item) I feel a sense of control, and my list no longer lingers in my head, stealing my peace (and way too often, my sleep.)

2. Mail gifts early! (Or skip the shipping altogether!) 

   I live on an island, which means any gifts that will go out to family or friends on the mainland must be shipped.  And let me tell you:  There is no worse feeling that standing in a long line at the Post Office, staring at the sign that tells you the exact date things must be shipped to be guaranteed to get there before Christmas, and realizing:  It was yesterday.  (aggghhhh!)   Shipping things early means shorter lines, and less stress.  Bam!  Yet as easy as that is, it does require a little planning in advance!

   

   Even better:  There are more and more great gift sites that will ship for you, eliminating the need to go to the Post Office at all!  We have received wonderful fruit baskets, as well as cookies, and even super healthy packages with assorted energy bars and organic snacks.  Here’s a link to the top 9 online food gift baskets.   (If you’ve discovered any great online gift companies, I’d LOVE to hear your recommendations in comments!)  Amazon is always a great option, and gift cards are easy to slip into an envelope.  The main thing for me is to PLAN IT EARLY, so I’m not buying recklessly in panic mode the week before Christmas!

3. Set expectations for the whole family. 

   Pretty much every December, I walk around the house telling everybody how we’re going to “simplify things” this year.  But what does that even mean?  My kids (especially the youngest two….) just look at me and smile, and then go back to detailing their wish-lists!  This year, I plan to gather the family, and make sure we are all on the same page with a holiday plan.  Some of the things on my list:  A  family advent study (<– we did this one last year and loved it!), and choosing a few ways we might serve others during the holidays.  (I love visiting nursing homes, and blessing some families in need with gifts and food.)  We plan to buy less gifts this year, and focus on one or two things the kids really want (and hopefully need.)  I want to keep our family’s focus on Jesus’ birthday, and how He is and will always be the greatest gift of all.  With so many competing distractions, this will only happen with intentional focus.

   Because kids love tradition, I will ask each of my boys for one tradition they love –whether it is making a gingerbread house (Levi’s been reminding me for months!), or going for a drive in the city to look at lights.  We’ll schedule one thing each kid requests, and let the rest go.  If things come up naturally, great, but I don’t want to worry about doing everything.  Being clear on expectations is the best way to avoid frustrations or disappointments.

   4. Order Christmas Cards early!

   Honestly, this may be the biggest stress reliever of all.  I love Christmas cards (both sending and receiving them!)  I don’t know why, but almost every year I wait until December to do my Christmas cards, and that  process adds one of the biggest burdens to my season every year.  This year, I decided to start early!  I used Basic Invite* to order Christmas cards, and I cannot tell you the relief I already feel!  I had heard about Basic Invite when I was looking for graduation cards and stationery, and when I saw how great their Christmas card options were, I was excited to give them a shot.  Because I have loved the process, here’s a little more about Basic Invite:  They are one of the few websites that allows you to customize your cards with almost unlimited color options and instant previews online. I played around with a bunch of designs before choosing what I loved best.  The other awesome things was that I was able to order a sample card in the mail to check out before placing my full order.  I love it!

{GOOD NEWS:  Right now Basic Invite is offering 30% off with coupon code: holi30!  Hop over and play with your own design!}

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Then be sure to stop back here in December for my official Christmas greeting! 🙂

So friends:  the good news is that we still have plenty of time to get organized, make our lists, and prepare mentally, physically, and spiritually for a great holiday season.  I encourage you to join me in starting early, and being intentional about that this year!

I’d love to hear from you in comments!  Any tips or ideas on simplifying Christmas and enjoying the season more?  Suggestions for gifts to pass on to friends and neighbors (how about the mail lady and garbage man- what do you do for them!?)  And any thoughts on shipping gifts…? Companies you would recommend?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and I invite you to hold me accountable to a low-stress, high joy season ahead!

With ALOHA,

Monica

PS  Two Christmas posts from the archives to help you keep perspective, and take care of yourself in the midst of the holiday season:  For Moms who want to avoid holiday burnout.  And a story on perspective at Christmastime.

*Full disclosure:  Basic Invite gifted my family cards this year, but all opinions are genuine and my own.  I would go back to them for future stationery and cards in a heartbeat! 🙂