How I Learned To Thrive During The Holidays.

Do you enjoy the holiday season? 

I do! Christmas is my favourite time of year. I love searching for the perfect tree, decorating the house, baking cookies, listening to festive music, and visiting with friends and family. Christmas makes me feel happy, peaceful, grateful, and calm. 

I didn’t always feel this way.

The holiday season used to be a chaotic, stressful time for me. 

That’s because:

I regularly overfilled my schedule. 

I fretted about buying the perfect gifts for those on my list.

I participated in the traditions of others instead of creating meaningful traditions with my husband and sons. 

I spent time with people who drained my energy.  

I didn’t prioritize self-care.

As a result, the holidays left me feeling off-balance, anxious, overwhelmed, and unfulfilled. 

Christmas was losing its magic. 

But then a few years ago something occurred to me. I was getting caught up in the hype and expectations of the holidays and looking outside myself for the perfect Christmas. I was working hard to make sure everyone else was happy with their holiday experiences but didn’t ensure I was enjoying my own. 

It wasn’t working for me. 

That’s when I decided to try something radical. 

I put my wellbeing at the top of my Christmas list. 

I decided to make choices that helped me feel energized and balanced instead of tired and frazzled. I chose to let go of self-defeating patterns to learn new ones that would benefit my family and me.

So…over the years, 

I stopped packing my schedule full of commitments. 

I let go of perfectionism around gift-giving. 

I prioritized creating new traditions for my family.  

I chose to spend time with people who fueled my spirit. 

I practiced self-care to feel grounded and healthy throughout the season.

The results have been astounding!

Christmas has gone from a frantic, exhausting whirlwind of commitments and expectations, to a more relaxed, calm, and enjoyable season for my family and me.

We’ve slowed down to savour the moment. We make personal gifts for each other such as coupons for quality time together. We’ve created family traditions that we look forward to every year. We celebrate with the people we love. We feel blessed by the abundance of our lives. We thrive. 

It’s the type of Christmas I’ve always dreamed of. 

If it sounds like I have an ideal Christmas every year, I don’t. There are always unexpected happenings and pressures that threaten to throw me off course. 

But when we remember to put our wellbeing first, we’re more likely to make choices that help us find balance and create a holiday season that is fun, relaxing, joyful, and fulfilling.

It works for me. It can work for you too.

How do you create calm during the holidays? I’d love to hear what works for you in the comments below.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

You’re wonderful.

Mary Lou