Finding Margin in the Holidays - Thriving not just Surviving!
Recently I put a question out on Instagram asking you for subjects you would like covered for this Holiday Season. So many of you simply said, “I just want to survive.” I get it. But it also is not what we really want. We want to thrive! We call this a “magical time of year” and “the most wonderful time of the year” and yet some of us are barely making it.
Today I want to share with you a few tips that help me thrive during this time of the year.
Keep certain routines. Many times when things get busy we let simple routines go to the wayside. I have found that if I cling to just a few of my routines, life is so much better. I keep these 4 routines during this busy season:
Morning Routine - The last thing I want to do is let my morning devotion time go when this is the season we are supposed to be celebrating Christ’s birth! When the kids are out of school I try to really lean into this time. I sometimes add an extra devotion that focuses on Christmas and I enjoy that extra time in the mornings. But even during the crazy busy time, take at least a few minutes to read your Bible and pray and ask God to be with you through your day.
Cleaning Routine - I keep my basic cleaning routine through the holiday season. This includes cleaning my bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, and mopping. By taking 15 to 20 minutes each day to clean, I’m keeping my spaces clean and it just makes for a more peaceful home (and Mama!)
Evening Pickup - This is an important one! No matter how busy it is, I want to be sure I pickup the clutter each night. This way I wake up each morning ready to start a new day.
Laundry - One load a day is my rule. By keeping up with one load a day I am not overwhelming myself by waiting a few days and have 3 or 4 loads to do. It is so much easier to take a few minutes each day rather than letting it pile up.
Protect your peace. Know what energizes you. Are you an introvert or an extrovert. Do you need to schedule some time to be by yourself because you’re going to be with people for a lot of the weekend? If you’re staying with family and you’re an introvert, find some time to be alone.
Make expectations clear. In my opinion, one of the reasons the Christmas season can be so stressful is because people have so many different expectations of what a perfect holiday looks like for them. This is why communication is so important. Take time to express to your spouse what you want out of this season. And then listen to what your spouse wants. I sit down with my mom and my sister each year and map out our plan. Who is hosting? What is our menu and who is preparing what? The Bible even says “You have not because you ask not.” We have to communicate openly or our expectations will never be met.
Say no when you need to. We don’t have to say yes to everything. In fact, we usually can’t say yes to everything. This is especially important when we are thinking of our budget.
Be intentional. Plan the important things. Put them on the calendar so you’re sure they happen.
I want to add a little bonus section here for those of us who still have children at home. These are a few tips that I have developed over the years with my kids. Kids can get so overwhelmed and overstimulated with all that’s going on during this time of year. They are off their routine, they are usually over consuming sweets, and being bombarded with all of the gifts they should want and expect. It’s a lot!
Get ahead of their needs. If you know a lot of desserts will be served at a party, feed your kids a high protein meal before you get there. Or make sure they eat a good helping of turkey before eating all of the marshmallows from the sweet potato soufflé. If you know nap time is coming, plan for it! I can get pretty out of sorts if I’m tired and hungry and I’m an adult who should be able to manage my emotions. This is not the case for a 5 year old! In my opinion, it’s better if my 2 year old misses part of the festivities with a good nap than to be crying the second half of the day.
Take them away from all the excitement for a little while. Sure, being with all the cousins and grandparents is exciting! But it’s also really stimulating. My daughter is used to a pretty quiet life. We homeschool and so we are home the majority of the day. When we are away from home for a few days, I find time to spend with just her. We make it into something fun. But I take her with me on errands or we go to lunch just the 2 of us. She enjoys the Mama time and I know she needs a few minutes of quiet as well.
I pray you have an amazing Thanksgiving and Christmas! And I hope these tips help to create even more peace and margin in your holidays!