Pause and plan: We’re entering a season of excess
With Halloween behind us, the holidays are almost here. The most wonderful time of the year, as the familiar carol goes.
But with Black Friday and Cyber Monday trailing Thanksgiving and News Years Eve celebrations following Christmas, this time of year is also one of:
Overspending – On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Americans will spend $90B shopping. Fifty percent of us overspend or don’t set a budget at all and 28% are still paying off debt from last holiday season.
Overeating – On Thanksgiving, the average American consumes 4,500 calories, which is almost twice the recommended daily intake. Most Americans gain weight during the holidays that they don’t lose the next year.
Over-scheduling – A recent study by OnePoll showed 88% of Americans feel stressed when celebrating the holidays and the average couple will have seven arguments throughout the season.
As Joshua Becker said in a recent Becoming Minimalist blog post, after living two months this way, it’s no wonder we Americans are so ready to make resolutions on January 1st!
So how do we participate in holiday traditions without overdoing it? How do we enjoy November and December without needing to make some serious lifestyle changes by New Years Day?
The answer is to pause long enough before the holidays start and make a “season of excess game plan.” We need to decide the limits we’re going to set for ourselves on spending, eating/drinking, and busyness.
Start by taking some time to image what an ideal holiday season would look like for you. Does it involve stress, hurry and guilt? I doubt it. It probably involves connection, memories, and enjoying the beauty of the season. Take some time each day (maybe 5 minutes in the morning while drinking your coffee) visualizing yourself doing what will bring you JOY during the holidays. Meditate on what boundaries you need to set to make your holidays filled with less excess and more meaning.
Here are some ideas for setting holiday boundaries:
Shopping
Make a list of what you plan to buy people ahead of time. Visualize yourself sticking to this list. Imagine yourself scrolling Amazon, buying only the gifts that fit your budget and easily avoiding impulse buys. Imagine yourself in Target and seeing cute items that you know someone would love but you didn’t plan to buy. In your mind, don’t put those items in your cart and calmly continue walking.
Eating
Imagine yourself filling your Thanksgiving Day plate with food that will energize you and an amount that won’t leave you feeling stuffed and tired the rest of the day (you could even draw out what your plate will look like). Visualize yourself feeling thankful for the wonderful meal instead of overindulging.
Busyness
Imagine your calendar as Christmas approaches. How full do you want it to be? You might sketch out what a balanced calendar would look like. Do you need two days a week with no commitments? Or maybe four days? Think about how much down time would help you appreciate the season more deeply. Then visualize yourself saying no to extra commitments that take away this down time. You may even role play in your mind how you will say no and visualize the person you will be telling no.
Helping wrap gifts with a church group, helping organize the company Christmas party, or even hosting family Christmas are all good things in themselves. But if they make you feel overscheduled, saying yes isn’t worth it. Say no. And remember anytime you say no to something you’re saying yes to something else (yes to more unhurried connection with family, yes to being more present to your kids, yes to experiencing Christmas in a way that doesn’t make your head spin).
Take action now to make this holiday season one filled with extra meaning, not excess stuff. The choice is yours. And it starts with a pause, some planning, and imagining that you can.