My Great Aunt Judy used to say “happiness is as happiness does”. She was likely saying that my stubborn surly teenage attitude needed an adjustment. As an adult, I try to live this advice and I can’t think of a time of year when living with a positive attitude applies better than the holidays. I used to complain about not having enough time, being tired, stressed about getting everything done and not achieving the perfectly presented holiday home like I see on social media. But I had an epiphany that I could complain, or I could embrace holiday mayhem. I made an attitude adjustment to lean in and manage the holiday season with a happy attitude so I can get the most enjoyment possible. For me, this means sharpening my pencil, putting on my organizer hat and making my plan.
Strategies To Lean In & Love The Holidays
Get Up Early: I know, I know, sleep is key, but 15 minutes of quiet can help set up your whole day to flow better. I snatch my me-time in increments like watching the sun rise with a cup of coffee and a brisk walk around the house outside (generally in my robe!) My husband likes to read daily inspirational messages and meditate. We feel focused and ready to take on the day.
Make Lists: List making is my super-power. I luuuuv making lists. The more time-crunched I am, the more effective I am at making lists. Making lists helps me empty the worry-I’ve-forgotten-something part of my brain. I make lists and rework them at least once a day. I have lists for different categories from gift-giving to decorating tasks. I time-line my tasks such as “finish decorating the tree by Thursday” and “wrap all hostess gifts for up-coming parties on Wednesday”. Each evening I review my lists, crossing off the things I’ve accomplished (yay!) and rewrite and time-line the next day’s tasks. I go to bed feeling organized and in control.
Calendar: Sit down with the whole family and make sure everyone’s events are on the family calendar. Every class party, gift exchange party (add get gift to lists) company holiday party (need a babysitter?), tree-cutting outing, cookie-making night etc… should all be written down. This way the kids know it’s a packed schedule and that you’re trying your best to cover everything. It also gives you an outline as to when you need to get certain tasks complete, like making cookies so you have them ready to bring to the neighborhood cookie exchange. This is a good time to ask your family about what they like best about the holidays. Maybe they don’t value the Johnson’s party; they would rather drive around after dinner to look at all the lights. Let’s all lean in to the fun of the season, not stress about the overly-busy schedule and prioritize what’s most important. Make your own holiday memories worth putting on next year’s calendar.
Exercise: The holidays can be physically exhausting. Who knew making 8 dozen cookies could be tiring?! But that’s not the physical effort that will clear my brain and keep my muscles strong and limber. I need to get at least 20-30 minutes of concentrated exercise to feel good. I have a physiological and a psychological need to exercise to feel my best. I need all the energy I can get, so it’s worth it to carve out the time. One of our favorite things to do is take the kids to our area Y for family nights. The kids love it and burn up their extra energy and my hubby and I get in a good workout (and hopefully burn off some cookies!)
Play Music: Music reduces stress and increases positive endorphins. My whole family loves a good dance party. They don’t actually love it when I sing the lyrics…I can’t imagine why? But we smile and laugh when the music is playing. I can visually see the tension leave everyone’s body. Just like Elf says The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!
Eat Dinner Together: A lot can interrupt regularly scheduled dinner times during the holidays. However, prioritizing sitting down for dinner together allows the whole family to take a breather. Kids (and us big kids) find the routine comforting, especially during this busy time of year. It’s a chance to catch up on the day and make sure we connect. Pick a couple of fun dinner topics such as favorite holiday movies, favorite holiday food, favorite holiday memory, etc…
Avoid Takeout: Just like exercise, it’s key for me to continue my routine and eat as healthy as I can. Sure, ’tis the season to indulge from time to time, and I do, but I like knowing that I’ve planned easy and healthy meals to keep us energized and even help us sleep better. Takeout food has way more salt, sugar and fats that can unbalance my body. It ends up making me tired and that leads to cravings for more salt, sugar and fats. Bonus, takeout is 3-5 times more expensive than cooking at home. I’d rather spend my money on a holiday excursion with our kids!
Plan Easy: When things get busy, I give myself a break by sticking to my favorite tried and true recipes. I love trying new recipes, but sometimes they take more time and focus than I have in my holiday bag of energy! I also like to plan meals that are multi-night effective. For example, I double the servings for a main dish such as chicken or shrimp and then re-purpose it in another meal. Baked chicken one night becomes chicken tacos another night. At least once a week, we have a salad bar. Instead of adding ingredients to a salad bowl, I put each ingredient in its own dish and allow the kids to make their own salads. The kids love it and don’t realize it’s a “leftovers” night! Steak, chicken, shrimp and salmon are my go-to’s for salad bar night. I’ve saved money and time, allowing me to be more present with my family.
Sleep: Don’t skimp on sleep just because you’re busy. Maintain everyone’s sleep schedules as best as possible. Again, the tighter you can keep to your regular routine, the better. For the grownups, this also means not staying out at holiday parties late. My hubby and I have a code-word to plan our retreat. It’s been pretty comical to use it in the middle of a conversation with other guests! We also agree before entering the party how long we want to stay. When we were younger we had more staying power, but we were also far more tired all the next day. Tired parents equals cranky parents which results in cranky children. I want happy holiday joy, so sleep is on my list of to-do’s.
Nobody else can create it for us. Happiness depends upon ourselves ~ Aristotle
Happiness with Healthy Recipes!
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Easy and delicious!
Make plenty for leftovers.
Steak one night, steak salad the next.