It happens every single year, we vow to limit the number of Holiday parties that we attend, tell our parents that we will not travel home for the Holidays, avoid signing up to plan the office party and not camp out all night to get the hottest toy from “Santa.”
We make these extreme promises to ourselves and then we break them! Stop the cycle and adhere to the 6 manageable tips below to maintain your balance during the Holiday season.
Keep the caffeine to a normal consumption
Now, I know that many of you will stop reading after this tip. You’ve already decided that this post is NOT for you. Stay with me and hear me out. Do NOT jump from 2 cups of coffee a day to 5 cups + an energy drink + a caffeine filled power bar just to help you do “all the things” during the Holidays. I know that this one will be hard and the fancy seasonal cups at Starbucks do not make it easier. Increased caffeine, means decreased sleep and you will need all of your rest and maybe even a little extra rest, in order to manage an aggressive schedule. Stick with what your body is used to and pace yourself.
Maintain your morning routine, it’s the foundation to a balanced day
How do you start your day? Meditation? Devotion? Workout? The week night Holiday shindigs can totally mess up your morning schedule and before you know it you are in a vicious cycle of altering your entire life for the cranberry cocktail at the neighbor’s cookie exchange. Give yourself an end time, stick with it, go home, get in bed and wake up refreshed and ready to conquer the day.
Schedule some time to pause
We schedule our entire lives. Work meetings, happy hour with friends, picking up the kids and Holiday gift shopping…yet we somehow forget to schedule stillness. Add a reminder on your phone to pause for 15 minutes at some point in your day. It’s an opportunity to regroup. Trust me when you are full fledged into the Holiday “marathon” you will appreciate the time to pause and clear your mind.
Create boundaries
One year, I attended 11 Holiday parties, galas, receptions, soirees, etc… in 4 weeks. Ridiculous, right? Now, I sit down and decide how many events I can attend that will not disturb my balanced not busy life and I stick to it. Sometimes that means that I must say no or I must prioritize one over another, but it’s worth it! As a result I am a happy little elf vs a mean Scrooge.
I’m wiser now, I only commit to one function a day and not every day
If you are still scratching your head trying to figure out how I did 11, in 4 weeks. Wonder no more, here’s the secret. I attended multiple functions (sometimes I even did an outfit change) in one day. I know, I know…CRAZY! I’ve been cured of FOMO (fear of missing out) and thanks to social media, I can enjoy all that I miss from the comforts of my couch.
Do NOT add “Holiday Office Party Planner” to your resume!
If you’re like me, you are probably already sorting thru your Christmas sweaters and preparing for what you will wear to the office Holiday gatherings. Let’s all touch and agree that we will only participate in the parties and we will not oversee ANYTHING! Including but not limited to who’s bringing what, we will not raise our hand to remind everyone to bring the Secret Santa gift and we will not deliver the Toys for Tots donations. All wonderful tasks, but let’s not add one more thing to our plate!
