Each year, in recent memory, I have written a blog about everything you can do to improve your experience during the holiday season. This year, I decided to write a blog about things I wouldn’t do over the holidays. It is a twist on the should-dos of the season.
What NOT To Do During the Holidays!
- Overspend – I would not overspend during the holiday season. I encourage everyone to think about a budget. Plan so that you do not have a huge credit card bill in the New Year. Talk to friends and family about not exchanging gifts or having a lower budget for the gifts that you do exchange. Think about experiences rather than things. We all have so much stuff. Do we really need more?
- Overextend myself – I would not plan to fill every day and every moment with people and events. When I do this, I feel exhausted when I return to work after the holidays. Spend time with the people that are important to you. See everyone else in the new year. Friends may be relieved to share the holiday experience in the new year.
- Overeat – How many of us eat too much over the holidays? I know I do and want to do it differently this season. I feel terrible when I eat too much junk and drink too much alcohol. Plan your meals so that you can control your in-take. Eat less when you go out to eat at a family or friend’s home or restaurant. Think about how you feel after the big meal.
- Over expect – Expectations can be nasty – our own and others. The holidays don’t have to be perfect. Perfect is rather dull. The holidays that we remember are the ones when something unexpected happens. (Read here: the dog jumped on the counter and grabbed the turkey or something else equally unusual.) I guess I am saying people need to chill out. It is only a day every year that gets so hyped up that everyone is disappointed. Plan for something crazy to happen or plan to do something unexpected to change the atmosphere.
The holiday season can be challenging. Start thinking about the things that you want to happen differently. Talk to the people in your life that can help you make it different. In January, what do you want to be able to say about this holiday season? If you could sum up the experience of holidays in 2024 in several sentences, what would it be? (You’re over it?)
Wishing everyone a safe and memorable St. Nicholas Day, Immaculate Conception Day, Bodhi Day, Feast Day of our Lady Guadalupe, Hanukkah, Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Zarathosht – and a Happy New Year! Read about December’s global holidays here: https://time.com/6242283/december-global-holidays-christmas-hanukkah-yule/
Listening. Guiding. Caring.
