THRIVING DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON
We all know that the holiday season can be a busy time of year. And all that extra busyness - shopping, gifting, entertaining, traveling - can make the holidays feel exhausting and overwhelming. But there are some things we can do to make the season less stressful and overwhelming. By making a few changes and mindset shifts around how we want to approach the holidays we can not only survive this crazy time but actually thrive.
What I want us to think about is how we want to feel on January 2, 2025 - happy, fulfilled, grateful, peaceful, relaxed - whatever that looks like for you. I’m talking about energy and vibes. Think about this as you read along. Keep this front and center as we craft a game plan to get us from crazy to calm.
DETERMINE WHAT CAUSES THE MOST STRESS FOR YOU DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON
The first step is figuring out what you DON’T WANT. What causes you mayhem and crazy vibes? To start, make a list of what causes you overwhelm and stress. You can’t fix it if you don’t know what IT is! Take some time to look back at past holiday seasons. What caused the most craziness in your life? Maybe it’s running errands, overspending, too much socializing, overeating, over drinking, not enough down time. The list is endless but the point is just to identify our sources of stress. Personally, I can't stand not having enough time and space around activities to decompress. I just have one of those nervous systems that requires a bit more time to reboot. Knowledge is power!
DETERMINE YOUR PRIORITIES
Now that you’ve figured out the problem areas and what isn’t working, let’s focus on what you want your holiday season to look and feeeel like. It’s important to identify both and be clear here. The idea is to identify your priorities so that you can keep them front and center during the next few months. Knowing your priorities will become your WHY and will guide your decisions about simplifying the holiday season. Being clear about your priorities will make it easier to prioritize what is most important to you. Then you start planning your season around those things and your HOW begins to take shape.
PLAN EARLY FOR A SIMPLER HOLIDAY SEASON
The best way to create a simpler, more enjoyable holiday season is by planning and prepping early. The more you are able to avoid leaving things until the last minute, the less rushed and overwhelmed you will be. Not only that but the earlier you start, the more intentional and thoughtful you can be with your decisions and planning. Do things ahead of time so that when things get going at warp speed, you can thrive rather than survive. I experienced this a couple of years ago by choosing to wrap my gifts as soon as I possibly could, instead of wrapping on Xmas Eve in a total frenzy. Nope, not fun and definitely not good for my nervous system!
CHOOSE TO DO LESS
Find ways to limit your to-do list. Say no to the things that don’t align with your values and priorities. Do the things that add value to you and your peeps, and try to let go of the things that increase your chaos.
Make a list of all the holiday things you usually do. What adds value and joy? What adds stress and resentment? Do more of one and less of the other. Maybe re-evaluate Christmas traditions. Simplify cooking and baking. Can you potluck instead of cooking everything yourself? Buy less stuff and prioritize being with family and friends. There are countless ways to streamline the list and simplify the holidays.
Set boundaries and practice self-care. This is how you thrive during the season!
SPEAKING OF SELF-CARE
A big part of the Radical Joy Project is self-care. It’s at the center of everything we do. We cannot be our most radiant selves without it and we certainly can’t thrive during busy times without prioritizing our mind, bodies, and souls.
Make a list of all the ways you practice self-care. Go back and look at the journal prompts in The Art of Self Care. How can you prioritize some of these things throughout your days? For example, I know if I don’t meditate in the morning and get some sort of movement during the day, I feel lethargic and spacey. If I don’t plan out and batch cook meals for the week I tend to eat crappy. This is how I take care of myself. This is how I thrive on a regular basis but even more crucial during the holidays.
ONE LAST POINT WITH YOUR SELF-CARE
Keep track of your wins. Log it on a piece of paper, a calendar, on your notes app on your phone. This is really important. I want us all to be able to look back on January 1, 2025 and see the wins. And don’t fool yourself into believing that you will remember them in your head. You won't. Be honest. We can barely remember what we ate for breakfast let alone 3 months of self-care wins. Am I right? So log those wins, no matter how big or small and then we’ll have a celebration in January!
GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION
When you lose your mind and forget everything you’ve just read - and you will - take some time to practice gratitude. Notice all the things that already fill your life. Family. Friends. Your breath every morning. The sun on your face. Be mindful of all the wonderful things that are right in front of you. This is a wonderful way to bring yourself back to a place of “enough”. Practicing gratitude and mindfulness will help negate the tendency to think you aren't doing enough, buying enough, decorating enough. Stop the spin in its tracks. You are enough. Full stop.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope these suggestions help you simplify and slow down during the holiday season. By implementing a few key strategies you can get through the next few months with a bit more ease and hopefully a sense of mastery.
Determine what stresses you out and figure out ways to avoid or minimize these things. Say no when you need to. Simplify. Prioritize the things that bring you joy and align with your values. Keep practicing your self-care. This is HUGE. At the end of the day, log your victories, no matter how small. It’s crucial we witness and celebrate these things because they help sustain us during challenging times. And last but not least, remember how you want to land on January 1. 2025. Hold this close to your heart during the months to come.
XOXO,
M
OCTOBER ART PROJECT
Fall table centerpiece
I have a large stash of artificial flowers, some dried flowers and grasses, and plenty of foam blocks. Please bring a vessel or two to use for your centerpiece. Be creative here. Use what you have laying around your house. A box, wicker basket, faux pumpkin, etc. Please note: the larger the vessel, the more ingredients you will need to fill it up. I have gone out and purchased a fairly large stash but to be safe you might want to bring ingredients you already have.
We’ll be taking a nature walk around Spring Lake where we can gather dried leaves, grasses, sticks etc. Think of it as a scavenger hunt! I’ve checked the weather for our retreat days and it looks perfect!
You could even do a bunch of smaller vessels, like cups or glass bowls, vases, etc. and line them up down the centre of your table. The sky is the limit here my besties!
The Great Bake Off!
A few thoughts on the apple baking day…we should pair up to keep things moving along. So maybe BR and Annette, Shawne and Molly, Susan and Becky. Becky, you mentioned apple mocktails? If you want your participation to be in the libation category that would be super and then Susan you could fly solo with the apple baking? I’m totally flexible here but we should keep it tight or else this baking thing could wrap up on Christmas Eve!
Shawne and I will get together to pick, peel, cut and freeze apples in order to reduce the time constraints on bake day. That being said, I’ll need final recipe amounts with apples ASAP. Each “couple” can figure out recipe ingredients to bring on that day. Also bring muffin tins, loaf pans etc. just in case.
We will bake, talk, laugh, and share our yummy yields! I’m so excited to kick off this holiday season with all of you. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. Drop it in an email at hello@radicaljoyproject.com.
See you soon!