7 Tips to Save Time & Reduce Holiday Stress
Copyright 2005 Kathy Paauw
My dad used to say that the holidays are when you get a whole
bunch of people that really aren't that close and don't know
each other that well and overcrowd them into a small room for an
extended period of time so they can make each other miserable."
--Dr. Phil McGraw
As we approach the holiday season, that sense of "overwhelm"
rings as loud as the Salvation Army bells.
For some, the holiday season represents stress, pressure,
expectations, guilt, disappointment, pain, loneliness,
exhaustion ... and the list goes on.
And it doesn't have to be that way!
We choose who we spend time with. We choose what activities we
say yes and no to. We choose where we go. Your holiday season
can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make it, and
it can be a lot of fun if you plan accordingly.
Take some time this week to think about what's most important to
you this season, and then do a little planning. Here are some
suggestions to help save time and reduce stress.
1. Create a list of holiday rituals that are important to you.
Seek your family's input on holiday decisions. Ask family
members what they liked and disliked about last year's holidays.
Write down the most important elements and activities you wish
to include this year, and plan to make it happen.
Keeping time-consuming and irrelevant traditions or rituals
"just because we've always done it that way" can increase
stress. Keep only those traditions that have meaning to you, or
create some new ones.
Give yourself permission to be in the moment and enjoy the
smells, sounds, feel, and tastes that are unique to this season
of the year.
2. Make a list of those you want to spend time with during the
holidays.
Who nourishes you? Who are the family members, friends, and
colleagues you enjoy being with? Who brings you down? Maybe this
is not the year to get together with them!
Do you want to do any entertaining? If so, when and with whom?
Plan ahead and ask for help if you want it. True friends and
loved ones will not care how many hours you slaved over the
stove. Spending time with you is what they'll cherish most. You
don't have to be Martha Stewart to throw a great party!
Are you invited to holiday parties that you really don't want to
go to, but you've gone in the past because you should? Be at
choice -- don't play the victim! This is not about whom you
should see, but rather whom you choose to spend time with.
3. Send holiday greeting cards with ease.
I've found a great service that enables you to send a real card
in the mail for less than a dollar, including postage, without
leaving the comfort of your desk. SendOutCards was recently
reviewed in the Wall Street Journal. I have been using their
service for a couple months now and I can vouch for the quality
of their greeting cards. With a simple click of your computer
mouse, you can select from several hundred holiday cards to
choose from, write a message (using your own handwriting font
and signature) and send a printed greeting card. SendOutCards
will print it, stuff it, stamp it (with a real stamp), and send
it in the mail for you. Visit http://www.bethoughtfulnow.com for
more information and to request a free gift account.
4. Mail packages with ease.
Mail packages early in December to avoid longer lines at the
post office and ensure they will arrive in time. Or, better yet,
sign up with Stamps.com or another online postage service and
avoid the lines altogether. You can mail large packages without
standing in any lines -- as long as you have an accurate way to
weigh them before you purchase the postage online. Once you have
added the correct postage (printed from your computer), you can
drop the packages off at the loading dock of your local post
office and avoid those long lines.
5. Thoughtfully plan your gift-giving.
Give from the heart, not out of obligation. Decide whom you
choose to give to and make a list. This will help you avoid
overspending through impulse buying.
If you think back to the most cherished gifts you have received,
they are often homemade or from the heart. A gift of time --
such as a gift certificate redeemable for an activity you can do
together -- can be very meaningful. Among the most prized gifts
I've ever received have been homemade cards with a heartfelt
note written inside. Value goes far beyond the cost of the gift.
A great resource for homemade gift ideas is a book called The
Perfect Mix. It contains creative edible gift ideas, including
wrapping suggestions and tag instructions, along with a source
guide for supplies. The book offers more than 90 recipes for
soups, breads, muffins, cookies, and other gifts. The gifts I've
created from this book have been very well received and
appreciated.
Instead of exchanging gifts with friends, consider having a
holiday or post-holiday party with them.
Avoid parking hassles, gridlock traffic around the malls, and
long lines at the register by shopping online and through
catalogs. A number of retail stores now offer merchandise
online, as well. If you are purchasing a gift that needs to be
mailed, you can arrange to have it sent directly to the
recipient, thus avoiding the extra steps of wrapping, labeling,
and mailing the gift.
Wrapping gifts can take a lot of time. Instead of wrapping all
of them, use a gift bag with a nice bow tied at the top, or use
a decorated gift box.
Consider giving an alternative gift to a friend or loved one by
giving to a charity in their name. One of my favorite charities
is Heifer Project International. Through living gifts of
animals, HPI is helping families worldwide to become
self-reliant. You can buy an animal that can change the life of
a hungry family and at the same time honor family and friends.
Visit HPI's "gift catalog" at http://catalog.heifer.org/index.cfm
6. Spread holiday cheer with those in need.
Volunteer to serve a holiday meal to the homeless, work in a
soup kitchen, or work at a food bank.
Adopt a family for the holidays and provide them with gifts or
holiday foods. Many churches and non-profit organizations can
match you with a needy family.
Look for a Giving Tree in your local retail stores. The tree is
filled with cards that list a specific gift desired by someone
in need. You select a card off the tree, purchase the suggested
gift listed on the card, and return the gift to the tree with
the card attached. The store wraps the gift and delivers it to
the intended recipient.
The end of the tax year is a great time to review your budget
and consider a year-end gift to your favorite charities. This
can represent a significant tax deduction if you itemize, while
doing great things locally and globally.
7. Use your calendar to help organize your time to reflect your
priorities.
Once you are clear about your intentions, calendar them in.
Writing them down for follow-up on a specific date will help you
to remember to do it and will keep things from falling to the
last minute. In other words, make appointments with yourself to
follow through with specific tasks by a specific time. As you
prepare for the holidays, remember that the greatest gifts of
all won't be found under the gift wrap. They'll be found in
those special moments when you make a heart connection with
those you care about.