I can’t be the only one that loves this season. The holiday gatherings, delicious food, and community can bring so much joy into our lives. On the flip side as parents, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed and stressed.
A few years back, I felt overwhelmed with gift-giving, stressed by the full calendar, and anxious about the amount of money we were spending. It took me a minute to realize that all the things that were supposed to bring joy into our home were bringing frustration and exhaustion.
Sometimes it can be really hard to see and feel JOY. Especially at a time when most are struggling financially, emotionally, and physically.
Here are some tips to alleviate the burden, stress, and guilt of this season, and to find more moments of happiness and joy.
Say yes to events that bring you joy
This season can bring some of the best events of the year for your family, but it can also be very overwhelming when you look at your double, often triple, booked calendar. So highlight those big events that you know you will regret missing out on, and say no to the ones you are okay forgoing. Creating boundaries is a good way to feel less guilt when saying no, and to avoid that FOMO feeling when you do.
If you love hosting, do it, if you don’t…don’t
Simple as that. I personally love hosting, but I have learned that one holiday is enough to tackle during this season of life. Some of you are hosts for every holiday. Others are strictly a guest, and some of you are like me. I am a person that absolutely loves hosting but has had to learn to love being a guest too!
Less is more when talking about gifts
We adopted the 5 gifts rule in our home when our oldest were still toddlers. Each child gets 5 gifts for Christmas. They fall into these five categories: a want, a need, a read, a wear, and a special gift from mom and dad. The special gift tends to be the bigger gift by either size or cost. The kids are able to really focus on the things that they want or need instead of circling everything in the Amazon or Target Christmas Toy Catalog. It also allows dialogue in our home about the real meaning and focus of the season. A bonus for me is I have learned to enjoy shopping with a much smaller list!
Find ways to dive deeper into community or find a community
I really want to encourage you to find a community to surround yourself with during this season. The holidays can bring up sadness, grief, exhaustion, anger, and it is really important to have a tribe around you that you can lean on at any moment. Some of us are dealing with loss, infertility, mental health, diseases, maybe suffering from seasonal affect disorder, etc. Finding joy in this season can be easier when you have a support system surrounding you. Let it be a mom’s group at your local church, a fitness class with other moms, or even a Facebook Community like our very own Central MA Mom Community.
Try living the slow life during vacations
Society and our culture tell us that full calendars equal joy and happiness. We are expected to work really hard to earn rest, but our bodies need rest and so do our children. This winter, especially during those days off, I encourage you to intentionally try to rest and slow down.
