Are you really enjoying the preparations for the Festive Season?
Are you rushing around buying gifts, planning menus, decorating the tree?
STOP!
Take time and enjoy the Festive Season
We get so caught up in the preparations that we forget to take a moment to just enjoy this time of year. You don’t need to have everything perfect! We put too much pressure on ourselves for the ‘perfect Christmas’ and forget about the true meaning and making memories with family and friends.
As a grandparent I love preparing for the family and enjoying the look of wonder and excitement on my grandchildren’s faces. It is such a joyful time of year, yet it can take it’s toll especially if you are hosting a family gathering. Having hosted family Christmas get togethers for 25 years I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. I recently shared my thoughts with Cibes Lift in their article Top tips for grandparents hosting Christmas this year.
Here are 5 quick ways you can slow down and enjoy the Festive Season.
1. Take time to reflect
You’ve decorated the tree – take time out to enjoy your handiwork and admire the decorations. Reflect on What the Festive Season Means to You. Do you have any special ornaments you use each year that can evoke memories of Christmas past?
2. Take time to admire the Christmas lights in your City or neighbourhood
In Australia, decorating homes with outdoor Christmas lights has become a tradition for many. Some are a little OTT for my taste, however, it can really put you in the festive mood when you take a walk after dinner and see all the houses looking festive. One of our local radio stations hosts the 4KQ Christmas lights each year and awards prizes for the best decorated homes. It has become a huge event and people travel to all neighbourhoods to see the winning homes.
3. Take time when wrapping gifts
When wrapping gifts for family and friends think about the person. Reflect for a moment on your love and friendship and feel grateful to have these people in your life.
4. Take time to listen to Christmas Songs
If you see a woman walking through the shopping centre singing along to all the Christmas songs then you know you have found me! I love all the songs at this time of year and it really puts me in the mood. Don’t want to go to the shopping centre? Put on the radio or play your favourite tunes and take time out to enjoy them.
5. Take time for YOU and don’t be afraid to say ‘NO’
You can surely take some time for yourself each day. Make time for you to relax, be mindful and really enjoy this time of year. Take a long bath, go for a walk, do some yoga. Don’t be afraid to say ‘No’ if you need to because you feel overloaded. Your health and well-being are more important. Take time to do whatever helps to relax you. Click here for some tips to help reduce your stress at this time of year.
Christmas and The Festive Season is such a magical time of year. Don’t miss out on the excitement and enjoyment because you are stressing or overloading yourself.
How do you slow down take time to enjoy the Festive Season?
This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated.
33 Comments
I’m not one to rush around during the holidays. I’ve always been super prepared when the girls were little and now that they’re grown up, there’s even more time to enjoy and appreciate the preparations. You have some good tips for those who have a hard time slowing down. 🙂
Yes this year Pam I don’t have much to organise gift wise as I did it early, however, for some reason we have a few more social engagements. I do like a lunch and glass of bubbly at this time of year though. Have a fabulous week!
What a great reminder to ‘take time’….especially for many of the things that we (read here; “I”) typically rush through. Thank you for sharing this!
These are all very practical tips Sue and a great reminder to just slow down and take time. Thanks
I love the rushing Debbie because I get excited about Christmas but sometimes the pressure takes over and I feel overwhelmed. That is when I step back and just look at the tree, listen to some Christmas music and really get into the spirit of it all.
I mentally checked out of work about two weeks ago, does that count as slowing down? 🙂
Oh good for you Vanessa! Yes that does count as slowing down. It is hard to keep working, the closer we get to Christmas isn’t it?
I’m just smiling to myself here imagining you walking through the shopping centre singing Christmas carols! I think it’s important to keep up your exercise routine over the festive season. I find my morning beach walk to be reinvigorating. #TeamLovinLife
Oh yes Kathy, I don’t mind if people think I’m a crazy lady but I can’t help myself. Yes keeping up the exercise and starting the day with a morning beach walk is the perfect way to ease the stress. Sounds lovely.
I sing the carols in the shopping center, much to my kids horror, and I dance a little. I love the buzz and Christmas, the visiting, the friends popping over, kids camping in the front paddock. What’s not to love!
Oh I’m pleased to hear your sing and dance too! It makes one feel so much happier doesn’t it? My children are much older so they don’t come shopping with me so I’m free to sing to my heart’s content! I love everything about Christmas too! Have a wonderful time and enjoy!
My daughter and I make a ritual of wrapping the pressies. Mariah is on the playlist, we have Baileys and ice in our glasses and we sing and chat. It turns a chore into a very special moment.
What a lovely tradition, Jo! These are special moments which become wonderful memories to cherish. My children are 37 and 35 so I don’t get to see them before our family get-together or Christmas Day. x
I had a huge meltdown yesterday and even though it wasn’t really Christmas-related it was kinda about this time of year. I was stressed about getting my yard sorted for visitors and was waiting for people to get back to me etc… It just felt like I was running out of time.
It was also a wake-up call though, that I was getting too stressed and upset and needed to stop and remind myself that it’s really only me that’s driving my own stress! #teamlovinlife
Oh Deb, I don’t think you are alone but you need to take a deep breath! I get like that sometimes and you are so right that it we are driving our stress. Take the foot of the pedal, have a wine and enjoy! x
It is both a most wonderful time of the year and a most busy one as well. However, since I have retired and we no longer ‘do Christmas’ there is none of that pressure. I used to be the cranky and tense one even though I LOVE Christmas because I was worried about all there was to do to make it right. Thankfully I stopped being like that about a decade ago and learned to go with whatever the Christmas flow was! Merry Christmas! D xx
Yes, Denyse we are in a different phase of life now although I can’t help myself in getting involved with Christmas preparations. I just love this time of year. This year we did organise ourselves earlier and it has been such a joy taking our time and enjoying the preparations. Merry Christmas and hope your 2018 is healthier and happier for you. x
Sue,timely post for me. I’ve hit Christmas overwhelm already.
SSG xxx
Oh that isn’t good SSG! Time to just give your little pre-schooler a cuddle and discuss what he will leave out for Santa and the Reindeer. My grandson makes me slow down and be in the moment – children have a way of doing that. x
You’re so right about taking time to slow down and enjoy the lead up to Christmas. I feel a bit slack because I haven’t really had to buy much in the gift department (and a lot of it was online and delivered to the door!) I can’t believe we’re less than two weeks from the big day! BTW I love your new profile pic – you look gorgeous 🙂 xx
Online and delivery takes the stress out of running around the shops Leanne so I think that is a great idea. Don’t feel slack! Enjoy the moment and it will all come together on the day. Thanks! I decided I needed a bit of an update on my photo. Can’t help myself, I’m always changing something about the website 🙂
You are so right – Christmas is mean to be enjoyed and not a huge chore to get through. We need to slow down and take it all in! Merry Christmas to you xx #Lovin’LifeLinky
Thanks Maria and I hope you have a lovely Christmas and a fabulous New Year. Enjoy the moment and create beautiful memories. x
I love your tips on slowing down Sue. It’s so true that many of us simply rush through the festive season and onto the next thing without really appreciating the special moments.
Our son has decorating the front of our house (and the tree on the roundabout out the front) with hundreds of lights. We’re thinking of changing our surname to Griswold!! 🙂 #TeamLovinLife
Oh I love your son’s attitude Lyndall! Way to go! We have neighbours across the road and their house looks like the Griswold’s except there blow up Santa keeps deflating – maybe he is stressed about his big night on Christmas Eve 🙂
I wrote something similar myself today, not so much about slowing down but just about how I enjoy Christmas for things like lights and music and not for the “stuff” which I think people get caught up in. I think what you say here about taking time to reflect is so important- making for a merrier Christmas x
Hi Emma! I agree, we all can get caught up with the stress of what to buy rather than just enjoying the little things like the lights, the tree, the music. I love Christmas! Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful and happy 2018! Thank you for stopping by to visit. x
Haha, poor deflated Santa! We have a vintage Santa which stands about 4ft tall with a light inside. The only issue is storing him the rest of the year! Merry Christmas to you and yours 🙂 xox
You could do what my MIL does and just puts a sheet over the Christmas Tree rather than taking it down. It has been up for 20 years!!!
I am so happy to say I’m doing all of these things this year. I am loving wrapping my gifts with care and extra bells and whistles. I will go and look at the lights in the next couple of days. We have Christmas carols in the house. I’m slowing right down and I’m not racing to event after event, but choosing to hang out at home and watch Christmas movies instead. I’m enjoying being able to breathe!
Good for you Leanne as it has been a stressful year for you all with your step-daughter’s illness. I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and fabulous New Year x
These are all very worthwhile. For me Christmas is a time for peace and happiness. But I do understand that family dynamics and trying to be perfect can make for a difficult time. For 30 years I hosted our family Christmas. But that stopped when I moved. These days Christmas is much more simple but still fun.
Thanks Jen, this year will feel a little different as we aren’t having our traditional family get together but rather an afternoon tea at my MIL’s aged care. I feel a little lost as there isn’t too much preparation to be done. In saying that it will be lovely to spend time with the family and that is what it is all about isn’t it? Have a very happy Christmas and New Year and best wishes for 2020 and the New Decade. x