8 Ways To Pause And Enjoy The Holiday Season
It kind of goes with the time of the year. We get so frantic and busy trying to get everything done. Christmas lights, Christmas cards, gifts, gifts, gifts, holiday parties, Secret Santas, getting the kids to that finish line in school, wrap, wrap, wrap, put up the tree, decorate all the things, and more gifts, gifts, gifts.
It seems like the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas goes by in the blink of an eye. Before the holidays are even over, we haven’t had time to enjoy any of it.
Sometimes we just need to take a step back — a little breather — and rest in the moment of the holiday season. We need to enjoy all the fruits of our labor, and put the hustle and bustle on hold — take the time to actually soak in the holidays, and all that they mean.
That is so much easier said than done! How in the world do we push the pause button on the insanity of everything we have to do this time of year?
8 Ways To Pause And Enjoy The Season
Enjoy The Anticipation – The best part of the holiday season isn’t actually the Big Day. It is all the little things leading up to Christmas! Allow yourself to just feel that excitement. If you have to go to ANOTHER kids’ Christmas recital, actually engage and enjoy it. Take an hour out of your day and drive around to look at Christmas lights. Just go into a Christmassy store and look around — you don’t HAVE to buy anything — just enjoy it.
Put It Down – Be intentional about taking a pause. Take 3 minutes — set a timer on your phone — and put down that pen that you are writing cards with, the scissors you are using to wrap gifts with, or that icing you are using for your cookies, and legitimately just be quiet and focus on the holiday season. Maybe put on a Christmas hymn while you do this. You will be surprised at how much an intentional 3 minutes will do for your holiday soul.
Just Do Less – You aren’t REQUIRED to decorate every room of your house or send out those 150 Christmas cards. Although they are yummy, your family will live if you only bake 1 or 2 batches of Christmas cookies instead of all the candy, fudge, and decorated cookies you usually make. It is much more important for you to just revel in the Holiday spirit this year. Your soul needs the rest.
Delegate Those Tasks – Don’t take it all on. Have your kids decorate the tree (It doesn’t have to be perfect) or wrap those gifts. Let your husband decorate the yard. If you insist on Christmas cards, have your SO type up and print out address labels and stick them on the cards for you!
Bye Bye Elf – Maybe it’s time to retire that Elf on the Shelf. That little guy takes up SO much time. If your kids are older this year, consider giving the Elf a year off or stopping the tradition all together. Maybe he could come back for one last “retirement party”!!
Buy Fewer Gifts – Your family will be just fine with fewer gifts. Maybe start some new traditions and make gift opening a fun experience. Nobody will even miss the extra 20 or 30 gifts you don’t get this year!
Go Out To Dinner – You are doing enough other things. Just go out to eat a couple times during the week, and skip making dinner at home. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate meal at a sit-down restaurant. The kids will LOVE it if you simply go to McDonald’s for dinner. Maybe check out their Mariah Carey Christmas Menu.
Fill Up Your Holiday Cup – Do something YOU enjoy this holiday season. What brings YOU the most holiday joy? Is it listening to Christmas Hymns? Is it sipping hot chocolate while you sit in the lights of the Christmas tree and reminisce? It is going through pictures of years gone by with the family? Do that. Put everything else aside, and just do what you love for one evening.
