With only a few more weeks left until Christmas, many of you may have already started feeling the pressure of the season. I know, I did that for years. Looking at magical photos on Pinterest and Instagram, I couldn’t help but compare my real life to other people’s fake reality. Finally, I decided to drop the stress about Christmas. Here is my Christmas advice for you, so you can enjoy the holidays again. (Spoiler alert, the keyword here is: decision!)
If you feel that you too MUST keep up with the Joneses, buying a brand new set of Christmas decoration for a fortune, doing DYI Christmas cards, or making beautiful gingerbread cookies, you’re not alone.
At first, it seems like a lot of fun. Then, you sadly realize that you still have work to do: finishing that report by tomorrow at work, driving the kids to birthday parties on the weekends, buying a pair of new winter boots before the first snow, losing some weight before the big feasts start, or study 1000 pages for your test before the weekend. Huh, even thinking about these is exhausting.
Then, of course, you try to do all the gift shopping in one day, last minute. But the malls are crazy busy, there is a lineup everywhere. Online shopping isn’t more convenient either, as they’re either out of stock or they offer 14-day shipping. So instead of cookies, DIY decorations, chill and relax, you spend hours being frustrated in a mask (well, hello COVID) in different stores or nervously scrolling through online shops.
No wonder that you end up having little to no energy for decoration or cookies or anything.
So, why exactly do you feel once again drained, overwhelmed, and irritated? Because you don’t do what you want to do. You do what you think is expected of you. (Expected by whom, really???)
Year after year you promise yourself that this Christmas is going to be different. You are determined that you will buy and wrap all the presents ahead of time, and take a few days off to enjoy all the preparation.
But somehow that never happens. It just gets too much, and on Christmas Eve you end up being cranky and tired, looking at the perfect photos of your friends’ Christmas trees and cookies on social media, wondering how on earth they had time for all of it.
My Christmas Advice for You
Here is the secret solution to your problem. DECIDE to save yourself another Christmas breakdown!! Take your decision seriously, as if your life depended on it.
- Stop doing all the things you think you are supposed to
- Stop worrying about other people’s opinions. (They never matter!!)
- Stop worrying about the perfect gift, the perfect decoration or being the perfect Chef
- Only do things that truly make you happy
- Trust that simply spending time with your loved ones is more than enough
