A little perspective before the holiday season

As November starts and the holiday season madness begins, I wanted to offer some perspective.

An opportunity for us to reflect and think, what really matters?

You see, at the start of the holidays, it’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement and adrenaline of the season. I enjoy doing all the holiday things as much as the next person.

Buying and wrapping gifts, decorating, and baking are all wonderful traditions of this time of year. I love finding just the right gift for someone, smelling ginger creams baking in the oven (a family favorite), and putting up fresh garland and mistletoe around the house.

The holidays are special.

But they also come with stress.

Forgetting an ingredient at the store means having to wait in the checkout line for 15 minutes. Gift buying can leave you wondering where all your savings went. Decorating, cleaning, and sprucing up your house can be exhausting.

Is this the kind of holiday season you want?

It’s not the kind of holiday season I want. But it doesn’t stop there.

Then come expectations of family and friends.

Whose house are you going to for the holidays? Who are you disappointing by choosing to not travel? What gatherings will you be invited to (or obligated to attend) this year?

Just writing out this list is making my adrenaline rush.

It’s hard to know what is best. But, I’m also here to remind you that it’s impossible to please everyone.

So here comes my next question. What do you want this year?

Do you want to avoid the hustle, say no to the stress, and let go of expectations?

I know I do.

You’re probably wondering, how do I do that?

I’m right there with you.

There have been seasons where I go in with an intention to slow down and enjoy the moment, and I get caught up again in needing to “do all the things” or stress over little details.

And you know what? It’s never worth it.

But I am also keenly aware that it is so hard to slow down in every way possible.

So I want to encourage you to start with renewing your mind around one aspect of your holiday season.

Think about these questions:

Do I need to have all the beautiful home décor and “keep up with the Jones’s
What gifts do my family and friends actually want?
Am I spending more time on myself than others?

Maybe, this season, you do some things differently.

Instead of buying new décor and ending up with clutter and items you don’t like, reuse your old décor and plan to make or buy just one or two new things this year.

Rather than purchasing a bunch of arbitrary gifts for people because you feel like you “have to,” decide on one type of gift for all of your friends. This could be a plate of your grandma’s homemade cookies, a favorite book you read this year, or a piece of art that you absolutely love.

Or perhaps, you need to think through how you spend your time. Have you been intentional about giving back to your community? Maybe this year you go door to door on your block and deliver cookies. Perhaps you reach out to the local nursing home and see if they need volunteer staff for holiday luncheons or activities. Get in touch with your local soup kitchen and sign up for a slot (or more) to help out. (Note: check your local Covid-19 regulations first).

There are so many ways to start the process of finding perspective this holiday season.

The holidays don’t have to be stressful, but the consumerist nature of the world is everywhere.

We are always being told that we need something or we have to have it before it’s too late.

But when we stop and really think about it, we realize we don’t need it. It doesn’t bring us any joy, it just invites stress.

And with stress comes unhappiness.

I think we often wonder why the “most wonderful time of the year” is such a frustrating or dreaded time for so many people.

When you heap expectation of what the holiday season “should” look like it’s no wonder we’re all balls of tension about to burst. Haven’t we all said that after the holidays, we need a vacation from our vacation?

So, again. I’m here to offer a little perspective before the holiday season.

Take inventory of what you really want the holidays to look like this year.

Don’t make a list of all the things you want or need to do. Make a list of what you want it to feel like. Decide what kind of intention you want to bring to the season. Write down the people you want to encourage, bless, and care for this year.

You might just find that once you do that, your needs, wants, and expectations will look a little different this year.

When you truly enjoy giving to others, spreading a little joy (which we all so desperately need this year), and being intentional about slowing down, your perspective on the season will be in the right place.

So start with one thing this year.

Decide on at least one way you are going to slow down, be intentional, and let go of expectation.

Leave me a comment and tell me how you plan to slow down this year. I look forward to being on the journey with you.