5 Ways To Avoid Overdoing During The Holiday Season
Oh, the holidays…it’s a festive time of year, one that I have always loved and enjoyed!
Then back in 2010, I started my online business… and much more of my time and attention was going towards growing my business… so I had less time to do all the holiday things… but refused to change ANYTHING I was doing in years past.
I basically piled personal hustle on top of the entrepreneurial hustle…
Eventually (and I’m talking a few years later) I noticed that instead of feeling festive and bubbly like before, I was dreading every minute of the holidays, feeling more like a stressed and overwhelmed Grinch than a festive goddess.
Gah! I used to put so much pressure on myself to make every holiday an extravaganza!
Blame it on my lifetime struggle with perfectionism or my Virgo-ness, I actually used to believe that “creating an extravaganza” was the only way to show everyone in my life how much I love and appreciate them.
I remember telling myself that I could handle doing it all for six short weeks. I mean it’s six weeks… out of fifty two weeks. How hard could that be – right? Well, I’ll tell you from first hand experience, it was pretty frigging hard, exhausting AND totally not goddess!
Your Body, Mind, And Spirit Well Being Is Essential!
Over time I realized the toll doing “all the things” took on my emotional, physical, and financial well being. I’m a busy entrepreneur, mom, wife, daughter, sister, ect., ect. ect., AND a human being, not a robot. Putting undo pressure on myself to make every holiday an extravaganza filled with batches of fresh baked cookies, extravagant five course meals, copious amounts of beautifully hand wrapped presents under a perfectly decorated tree while growing an online business was too lofty a goal.
Something had to give, so I began examining the default beliefs and behaviors I was buying into around the holidays.
Totally random at this point in the article, but did you know that most women spend an average of $700-$1,000 on presents each holiday season?
More on that in a few paragraphs…
Let me ask you a question my friend, how many times do you think you’ll run to the mall or how many hours will you surf the web searching for the perfect gift for the people in your life?
This harried, do everything behavior will steal most of the joy out of the holidays for you. I recommend shortening your “to-do” list and “to buy” list and discover ways to live a more “back to basics” lifestyle.
A back to basics lifestyle is where it all began – centered on hearth and home.
It is my personal opinion that things have gotten out of hand in our culture. Our culture as a whole strives to gain material wealth at the expense of our connection to spirit and nature. Living a more back to basics life will allow you to spend time with your loved ones without the stress and financial burdens.
Now, doesn’t the idea of less stress and less financial burden sound totally GODDESS? Indeed it does. So allow me to share some of my quick and easy suggestions with you…
5 Ways To Avoid Overdoing During The Holiday Season
I’ve put together a quick list of 5 ways to avoid overdoing during the holiday season. When I say overdoing, I am referring to any and all over-committing of your time and your emotional, physical and/or financial resources.
Winter brings the darkest, shortest, and coldest days of the year. If you choose to follow the natural rhythm of nature, you would notice that this season invites you to hunker down more, spend more time with your loved ones, and give yourself the permission to relax and enjoy the magic of the season.
So without further ado, here are five ways on how to avoid overspending and overcompensating emotionally, physically and financially this year while still partaking in all of the merry-making going on around you!
- Set A Holiday Intention – The holidays can take on a life of it’s own if left unchecked. You can find yourself being thrown about like a rag-doll, running here and running there. How do you want this holiday season to look and feel? How do YOU want to feel? Be intentional about the experience you are willing to be available for this holiday season. And while you’re setting that intention, create a budget for your spending! This will help keep you from having regrets and/or despair after the season has passed!
- Give Yourself The Permission To Relax And Enjoy – It’s not the material gifts that make the season so memorable and special, it’s experiences like lighting candles instead of using electricity for your lighting, festive music dancing in your ears, decorated homes twinkling away on your route to and from home, the wonderful aromas of home made food cooking in the oven, the innate sweetness of your children, the boisterous laughter that talking about funny memories past usually conjures up, or gathering with your loved ones and the overflowing feeling of gratitude that envelops you like a warm blanket.
- Don’t Overcompensate By Making Too Many Purchases – Does anyone really need another sweater or scarf? Think quality rather than quantity. Choose the gifts you want to give to with thought and intention. I am sort of a magical Martha Stewart, so I make many of the gifts I to give. I have been told year after year that it was my recipients favorite gift. Take a look at some of my homemade gift giving ideas here on my website. I promise, they’ll be the hit of the season because they are infused with Vitamin L (that’s Vitamin LOVE baby!). Two that spring to mind are my homemade Vanilla Extract and Hops Dream Pillow.
- Think Outside Your Go To Ideas – Have you ever noticed how the holidays can feel lonely even in the midst of so much activity? Instead of isolating yourself or running yourself ragged. Why not step out of your comfort zone; grab a group of friends and go caroling around your neighborhood, bake cookies for your friends and neighbors, play some soft music, pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine, and slow dance with your partner (wink, wink), or perhaps get a group together and go sleigh riding or ice skating. If you live near New York, go see the tree at Rockefeller Center and look at all of the gorgeously holiday decorated stores.
- Put Yourself On The Calendar – I saved the most important for last… You can easily fall into overspending and overcompensating when you’re running on empty. We goddesses need to take time to fill up. I use this saying often with my private clients and students, “Only a FULL pitcher can generously pour water”. Put some of your to-do’s aside and put yourself on the calendar; attend a yoga class, prepare and sip on a cup of herbal tea, get off Facebook and read a good book. Be gentle, kind and forgiving with yourself. You’ll be able to give more to others if you’re taking exquisite care of yourself.
The holidays can be a wonderful, magical AND stress free time of year. You get decide what kind of experience you will have.
Sending you so much love,
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