From Stress To Peace: How Viewing Christmas As A Season Changed Everything For Me
All of my adult life, Christmas has felt like a race I was always losing. A race against the calendar, a race against my lengthy (self inflicted) to do list and a race against expectations-mostly my own. There has been shopping, wrapping, decorating, endless to-do lists to complete, menu planning, cooking and baking and somehow in the middle of all that chaos I was supposed to feel festive and joyful. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have always loved Christmas and everything it entails but down in the overwhelming trenches of the seemingly endless tasks, I have had a tendency to forget how much I truly do enjoy it. This year something changed in how I look at the entire season and I have felt the weight of the holidays slowly lifting and have begun enjoying all the preparations and, indeed, the entire season a lot more!
🎄This year I experienced an unexpected yet very welcome Ah-Ha moment that shifted my entire perspective on the season. It was a bit of a perfect storm made up of three different situations. The first was the constant barrage on Facebook (yes, I love it and spend a little too much time on it) of posts and memes about November 1st being the date that you were supposed to put your tree up and begin celebrating Christmas. Maybe this is a really good idea? We have been conditioned over the years to not decorate or do anything clearly visible for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I usually fudged on this a little bit, but not much. The concept that the turkey will taste just as good with the tree sparkling in the background seems a little foreign, but maybe not such a bad thing? After all, Thanksgiving is a day, Christmas is a season.
🎄The second catalyst was learning that my daughter and her family would not be coming home this year for the first time since they moved out of state about 5 years ago. To say I was broken hearted would be an understatement. I have never spent a single Christmas without her in her entire life and had been able to be with her children every year of their lives. As it turns out, they are able to visit for a few days in mid December so we will just have to have another little Christmas. Broken heart mended!
🎄The third thing that happened was that my sweet husband suggested a week long trip the first week of December to celebrate our birthdays . Be away from home in December??? Who does that? Unheard of for me, how would I ever get everything done??? Yikes! Didn’t really seem like a good idea, but who turns down a trip for their birthday? We are going! I am really excited about it now!
🎄 It was in the space of these, in my mind, overwhelming thoughts and situations and my characteristic overthinking and anxiety that I realized something so simple, yet overlooked by so many of us-Christmas is a season, not a single day! And in that single moment, my stress levels dropped, my preparations seemed less daunting and I thought about how wonderful it could be to enjoy each day if I stopped looking at Christmas Day as a deadline and started treating November and December as the holiday season! Each day to be spent enjoying little things about the season, taking the the time to complete my preparations without all the pressure instead of careening perilously and unchecked towards a December 25th deadline. What a relief!
🎄Turns out this is all going pretty well, so far, so good. I got all my decorating done the 2nd week of November, didn’t quite make the November 1st mark but that’s OK, no pressure is my new Christmas season mantra! I will have more than one family gathering and will still get to see my daughter and her family during the Christmas season. I will have ample opportunities to see and celebrate with my local kids, grandchildren and the rest of my family. I am wrapping as I go and I will bake a little at a time. I am relaxing with my husband and watching Christmas movies and will have most preparations done before our trip. I will get to experience Christmas in some pretty great places for a week. I am doing little things along the the way to make the season a little more special. I am looking forward to not feeling let down and relieved when December 25th comes and goes because I will have enjoyed the season and I won’t feel like I put so much work and effort into 1 day just to have it be over in the blink of of an eye. I will have enjoyed and appreciated an entire season! And that is a very good thing!
Here are some suggestions for little things you can do along the way to make the season a little more special.🎄🎁🎄
- 🎄 Never lose sight of the true reason for the season.
- 🎄 Put a little bit of Christmas in every room of your home, even if it is just a nightlight or a small lighted figurine.
- 🎄 Swap out your usual body care products for festive scented lotions and body washes.
- 🎄 Wear you fun holiday sweaters, sweatshirts, socks and sparkly things all season long, don’t just save them for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Same goes for your Christmas jammies.
- 🎄 Burn scented candles designed for Christmas all season long.
- 🎄 Have fun with your manicure during the season with festive colors and designs.
- 🎄 Swap out your boring old kitchen and bath towels with holiday themed towels. Maybe even put special sheets or a comforter on your bed.
- 🎄 Watch a Christmas movie any day of the week. Don’t forget the hot chocolate or maybe even a festive cocktail.
- 🎄 Treat yourself with kindness, plan and do things a little at a time to avoid feeling stressed. Eat well and get plenty of rest.
- 🎄 Take advantage of all the fun and festive foods and snacks in the stores, treat yourself a little. Enjoy them all season long. We have Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes, Kit Kat Santas, and the yummy butter cookies that come in the tins right now.😋
- 🎄 Be present and be aware of your surroundings. Enjoy all the lights, decorations and special things others do to celebrate the season. There is joy and beauty all around you if you only look.
Changing my mindset on the Christmas season has truly been a game changer for me. I am now enjoying the journey and am not panicking about the December 25th deadline that I have been a slave to my entire adult life! Christmas is a season meant to be enjoyed every step of the way, it is not something to simply be endured and gotten through! I am learning to erase high expectations for myself and others and am definitely trying to kick my need for perfection right out the door! These are all very much welcomed and positive changes! I hope something in my story brings you a little peace, clarity and a fresh perspective on the season!
🎄I wish you all the happiest of holiday seasons and the merriest of Christmases!🎄
I have found and linked below some fun, festive things to help you celebrate all season long! Take a peek. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. No additional cost to you.😊
Dove Limited Edition Holiday Treats Mixed 3 Count Sugar Cookie Sprinkle Value Pack for Hydrated & Soft Skinhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FJ2L6JHJ?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=91bc77e0ffbf7b11279ca2864a457b17&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FJ2L6JHJ?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=91bc77e0ffbf7b11279ca2864a457b17&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
DUKASOU Semi Cured Gel Nail Stripshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DGD3S4KC?smid=A29SB1N8APGKCD&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=83fd0089d1b133bc74366c6bfcb2c7f7&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DGD3S4KC?smid=A29SB1N8APGKCD&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=83fd0089d1b133bc74366c6bfcb2c7f7&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
SKL Home Christmas/Winter Multi Trees 100% Cotton Premium Bath Towelhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FKNC8JWH?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=7e3a67d6c0092ed1042d57fadb5d8fe9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FKNC8JWH?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=7e3a67d6c0092ed1042d57fadb5d8fe9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Elegant Comfort Luxury Soft Bed Sheets Holiday Pattern https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PFH888D?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=3457f7c282bbe9f4fbec8eba716987fb&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PFH888D?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mrshovland64-20&linkId=3457f7c282bbe9f4fbec8eba716987fb&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
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