Whenever the holidays is simply a tinsel-coated glimmer on the horizon, it’s all too easy to make grand plans. You can host a neighborhood open house, make gifts and bake five different kinds of cookies? It’ll be so festive! That is, until your energy fizzles out and you consider going into hibernation. Possibly you have plenty of energy now, but don’t forget, you’re in this for the long term. To prevent burnout, it’ll help to make holiday plans with your future (possibly tired) self as the primary goal.
4 Time Traps You Should Avoid during the Holidays
1. The trap: Stressing over “perfect” decorations. What with holiday lights (outdoor and indoor), the tree, special linens, plates and pillows, there isn’t any clear end to holiday decorating. And if you’ve been collecting decor for some time, odds are it’s a significant process to get it all put up. If decking the halls brings you great joy, you should, give it your all! However if it has started to become more of a burden than a pleasure, allow yourself permission to simplify.
What to do instead: Mindfully minimize. Consider which features of your holiday decor will be the most meaningful to you and put those up. Then pause and observe how your home feels. If it feels good, put the rest away (or even better, give it away).
2. The trap: Baking (way) more cookies than your household needs. Once you start a cookie baking tradition, it’s rather easy for it to grow (and grow) until you’re baking more cookies than can comfortably fit on the surfaces in your kitchen.
What to do instead: Keep holiday baking fun and low pressure. Rather than pressuring yourself to make cookies for each and every remote acquaintance, consider just how much baking could bring your family joy. One big cookie baking day or several smaller baking projects spread over a couple of weekends? Store-bought dough or homemade? There isn’t a right answer: Discover the commitment level that’s best for you and leave it at that.
3. The trap: Wrapping every gift with elaborate wrap and ribbon. Do you love wrapping gifts, become entranced by a few new ideas for packaging up presents. The issue is once the gifts begin to stack up, and the “fun” wrapping party with cocoa and carols turns into a chore to get through as fast as possible.
What to do instead: Keep gift-wrapping simple by mixing in a few reusable bags. By keeping reusable gift bags available (including some extra-large ones for hard-to-wrap gifts), you are able to select the places you expend your wrapping efforts.
4. The trap: Taking on a significant photo organizing project. With the end of the year approaching, it’s tempting to believe that this is the perfect time to finally get all of the old photos organized. Let us promise you: It’s not. You’ve already got plenty on your plate, and undertaking an extensive organizing task is the last thing {you need|that’s needed}.
What to do instead: Tag and file new photos when you upload them this holiday season. Simply because this isn’t a good time to arrange that backlog of digital photos doesn’t mean you need to ignore the new ones you’re taking now. In fact, since you’ll apt to be taking a great deal of photos throughout the holidays, this is an excellent time to get into the habit of naming photos to ensure they are simpler to find when you need it.
What are you doing to simplify your holidays this season?
Have a questions or concern? Nick & Cindy Davis with RE/MAX Premier Group are here to assist you. We are always a just a click here away or call 813-300-7116