Do you appreciate the holidays?
I’ll admit it—for me, appreciating this time of year is a whole lot easier said than done. In fact, if I’m being honest, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the holidays. On one hand, I love the parties, decorations, rituals, and gifts. On the other hand, I can get overwhelmed by the stress, drama, and obligations of it all.
Can you relate? Do you also worry that you’re not doing enough? That you’re behind on your to-do list? That you won’t get everything done in time, or that you won’t be able to make things right for the people you love the most?
This year I’m focused on appreciating the holiday season for what it is—regardless of the circumstances that remain out of my control.
Here are some things we can do to keep things in perspective and appreciate this time of year
1. Take Responsibility
The holiday season can be chaotic. It’s no wonder that so many of us blame the season for the stress we feel, rather than examining its real source—ourselves.
We’re the creators of our own experiences, regardless of the time of year or what’s going on around us. The more we remember this, the more we empower ourselves to take control of our circumstances. This year, make a conscious effort to enjoy the whole experience of the holidays without lumping additional pressure on yourself.
2. Choose How You Engage
Not only do we have the power to create our own experiences, but we also have a choice in the way we show up.
As the holidays approach, you may be feeling a bit anxious about spending time with certain people or showing up to certain events. Remember that you have a choice in how you engage with these people and situations. You can choose to be cranky, annoyed, or upset—or you can decide to enjoy the fun and not take things personally instead.
3. Center Your Appreciation
Even with the stress, obligation, and more, this time of year can give us the opportunity to get together with people we love and care about.
Let’s make a conscious choice to focus on what—and who—we truly appreciate. Work on telling the truth about how you really feel. If possible, don’t show up to events you don’t want to attend, and don’t surround yourself with people out of a sense of duty. If that’s not in the cards, don’t stress. Instead, make a commitment to appreciate the good and take in all the blessings in your life.
Have A Happy Holiday Season
This holiday season, let’s try to take a step back. Regardless of what kind of year you’ve had, take some time to pat yourself on the back. Celebrate your accomplishments, and learn from your mistakes. Then, take a look at what’s around you. Really experience the gratitude you have for the people in your life. If not now, when?
Make the choice to enjoy these next few weeks and have a truly happy holiday.
What can you do to appreciate and enjoy this holiday season as best as possible? Share your thoughts, feelings, and ideas in the comments.
Related posts:
Stay Grounded During the Holiday
The Greatest Gift We Can Give
Want What You Have
The Holidays are not my favorite time of the year, as I believe it’s too commercialized, so I try to look at the Holidays in a different way and look for ways to show kindness to those less fortunate by donating brand new blankets to the homeless and donating holiday gifts to charities. In addition, I have written a list of rules for myself for a stressless holiday season. It really helps me to keep me focused and also to appreciate this time of year so much more.
After a busy Thanksgiving weekend, I was feeling stressed Monday morning because I didn’t get any holiday decorating done in my home. After seeing that Tuesday was a relatively light day at work, I submitted a last-minute request to take the day off. My boss honored my request and I got a ton accomplished at home while everyone else was away. I decided that this was the best gift I could have given myself and next year I will just plan on taking the Monday after Thanksgiving off.
This year I appreciate the fact that I still have a job – a job that I like, in fact. In these troubled economc times, I am seeing firsthand family members, friends and colleagues who are not so lucky. I am also appreciating my children, who are now old enough to understand the whole Santa thing and can’t wait to decorate our tree this week-end. And finally, I appreciate that my Mother and Step-Father are making the 7-hour drive from Orange County to the Bay Area to come and stay with us over the holidays. I feel blessed!
Thank you for your time,
Tiffany