I have a confession to make. I am a Grinch during this time of year. While I do like the holiday music, family time and parties, I don’t like the stress that accompanies the preparations for the festivities. To make matters worse, some of my fellow organizers contribute to the stress with complicated seasonal organizing advice. Recently, I read that you could buy software to track where you store your many decorations. Also, I didn’t realize that I should have started my holiday planning in October! All of this makes me wonder, “Which gets more hits on the Internet during this time of year, advice on how to get organized during the holidays; or, advice on how to deal with holiday stress? “
Over the years, I have begun to simplify my holiday season. I hope some of these tips will help you simplify your holiday season!
- Give the gift of love –Too often people keep unwanted items because they were a gift. They feel guilty giving the item away even if they don’t like it. This year, instead of buying a gift, think of making a donation to your loved one’s favorite charity and help out a less fortunate person.
- Give an experience – I don’t always remember what I received for Christmas, but I do remember when we went somewhere special during the holidays. Go to New York for the day or spend a day at the spa. If you have kids, go ice-skating or visit one of the many holiday light shows in your area.
- Start a “dream” fund – If you have children in the family, you may be tempted to shower them with gifts; but, do they really need all those toys? Instead, set aside some of the gift money in a fund which they can tap into when they grow up and leave home to pursue their dreams.
- Start 2016 with good wishes – Lighten up your to-do list by sending out your cards in January. I think the French have the right idea. In January, after the December festivities are over, they send out New Year’s cards instead of Christmas cards. To me, sending out cards in the New Year extends the holiday spirit just a little longer and lessens the stress to get out those Christmas cards on time!
- Alternate traditions – If keeping up with all the family traditions is stressful, think of alternating them every other year. We used to set up both a tree and a Christmas village. Because the village doesn’t require maintenance and can stay up longer, I chose to display it every year and set up a tree every other year. However, since I downsized last year, I no longer have the room for both. Maybe next year I’ll forgo the village and set up a tree instead. It would be nice to have a Christmas tree again.
Happy Holidays!