Pajama set (long sleeve, tipped, striped, great deal)
Tis the season to be… stressed. I always find myself on the brink of a break down around the holidays. It’s the fourth quarter. The weather is shifting back and forth in the South and my body is trying to decide if it wants to be sick. Christmas parties, seasonal traveling, people wearing these shoes in my house (a tidy introverts biggest woes). Compound that with the fact that I can never quite seem to get all my gifts together in time and you have the recipe for disaster.
I am learning to realize that I can’t control everything and to just breathe through the moment. Here are some things I’m doing to recharge during the holiday.
How I’m Recharging My Energy During the Holiday Season
- More running. All of holiday eating and no sun makes me incredibly sluggish. I am using this time to make sure that I am keeping to the activities that I know make me feel good including running. I’ve also picked up water aerobics. I know it’s for the elderly but as someone with a history of swimming and bad joints, water aerobics is helping me acclimate to being in the pool and not kill my knees in the process. Plus the women are soooo sweet.
- Ignore the phone. If the phone rings and it isn’t a work call, I’ve been learning to say no. People will leave a voicemail if it’s important and if its just another “Happy Holiday” call, I call back when I feel comfortable (I try to do this within 48 hours).
- Skip the holiday parties. Unless its mandatory, I am skipping holiday parties and traditions that I don’t necessarily look forward to. My favorite thing about my husband is that he doesn’t mind just sitting home with just us and the dogs.
- Expedited shipping. If I can help it, I am not shopping. The mall sends my nerves into a frenzy and this time of year. I am only shopping in store if I can guarantee there won’t be a crowd which is darn near impossible this time of year so mostly I am shopping online and pay those extra few dollars to make sure my purchases arrive in a timely manner. So far so good.
- Eat the second cupcake. I refuse to stress about my weight this holiday season. I am just eating as well as I can and indulging when I feel the need. If I want the second cupcake, I have it.
- Staying spiritually in tuned. Whatever I do by way of spirituality, I am making sure that I keep to it. Whenever my life is a disarray, I can often chart it back to a lack of prayer and meditation so even with all the frenzy, I’m making sure to still to my plan.
- Delete the emails. I get so many sale emails and I am deleting without opening. Unless of course there is something I have already had my eye on. If there is an item, I already needed I open the email for the coupon code. Besides that, promotional emails just mean more clutter.
- Wearing clothes that feel good. I’ve vowed to only wear clothes that I love. If it doesn’t fit or doesn’t make me feel like the best version of myself, it can stay in the closet this season. I know my feelings of self are closely tied to my outward expressions so I am making sure to take account of that.
I think if I stick to these things, I can make it through the holiday season with my sanity intact. What are you doing to stay sane this holiday season?
XO Prepford Wife