As we approach Christmas Day, I have realized something lately. It’s so easy to become completely overwhelmed this time of year. We all view the holiday season differently. For some of us, it’s a bright, cheerful, fun time of year. For some it’s busy and chaotic. And for others, it brings up painful memories.
No matter how you view the holiday season, it’s so easy to get into this overwhelmed mindset. I’ve been feeling like I just have so much to do leading up to the 25th, that I can hardly even enjoy the special things I’m doing this season.
I’m preparing to launch my book – which turns out to be a very stressful event – and I’m planning a launch party and a few signings. A lot of my mental energy has been consumed by all those exciting events. That, and then throw in school, work, blog things, and spending time with family and friends, and it’s hard not to become overwhelmed and emotionally drained. And when you have really high expectations for this season, it’s hard not to get down when those expectations aren’t met.
I want to be the life of the party when I hang out with my friends. I want to be able to play with and cuddle my kiddos and take care of them to the best of my ability. I want to be able to wrap up school for the year on a good note. I want to enjoy the holiday season and feel thankful and blessed and loved. I want to have the patience to snuggle my little brother when he comes in to sleep with me for the seventh night in a row, without feeling overworked and exhausted.
All that being said, this month I’m trying to be intentional about what I spend my mental energy on. I’m not going to allow negative vibes into my life. I’m not going to feel bad about drinking a few too many Starbucks holiday lattes. And I’m going to try to focus on giving rather than getting from this season.
Here are a few easy things I’m trying to incorporate into my life so I don’t get completely lost in all the chaos and craziness of the rest of this holiday season.
- I meet with Hannah almost every Wednesday morning (#workmorningwednesday) and we talk about life, as well as any upcoming blog/social media things we are planning. Hannah is the behind the scenes person of this blog – she does almost all the photography and editing, and helps me with social media and marketing. And she’s super talented! I love our early morning meetings at Starbucks, and they’re also a bit of a “brain dump” time. It’s like journaling and getting all our thoughts out, but instead of paper, I’m telling my ideas to Hannah, and she’s telling me her’s. She helps make blog, social media, and book advertisement decisions easier.
- I’m trying to remember what this season is really about. In the midst of all the busyness, remembering that we’re celebrating God’s love and Jesus’ birth makes everything seem much more simple.
- Remembering to take one day at a time helps me slow down and not become overwhelmed. I can’t get everything done in one day, so scheduling my to-do list into my schedule each week is helpful. I’m also still working on getting to bed on time so I can get up early and do my full morning routine.
I hope you’re enjoying this holiday season and having a wonderful Christmas! Thank you for stopping by and reading! See you soon!
Love,
Gabriella
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