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Make Your List and Check It Twice
Measure twice, cut (or bake or shop!) once. Take a cue from Santa, who checks his list twice to avoid errors that could cost him precious time on his tight schedule.
Double-check the color and size of the items in your Amazon cart before checking out, the sugar cookie ingredients list before leaving for the grocery story, and the amount of fabric before cutting the pattern for your daughter’s holiday dress.
Connect with the Season
Take a nature walk. Collect pinecones for a DIY centerpiece while you’re breathing in the fresh air and soaking up some vitamin D. Include the family in the fun, or try a meditative, solo experience.
Simplify the Decorations
Choose minimalist or eclectic décor to avoid decision fatigue. Either looks great without requiring much planning or extra trips to Target.
Eliminate (almost) everything. Keep it super simple with a sparse, monotone theme. You can’t go wrong with winter white.
Keep everything. Display your entire holiday collection with a happily chaotic, eclectic theme. No one really cares if the antique nutcracker matches the modern tree skirt. Your artsy friends might even be impressed!
Don’t Wait for Sales
Give yourself a head start before the rush. Shop, wrap, and mail presents early.
Unless it’s a budget-stretching item that your partner has been eying for months or an item you know is going to be 50% off for Cyber Monday, hit the Order button before Thanksgiving.
Avoid midnight crowds, shipping delays, backordered items, and last-minute wrapping by planning ahead—even if it means losing out on a sale. The time you’ll save by not scrolling through all the Black Friday emails is equally as valuable.
Cater the Party
You might enjoy cooking for a dinner party of six, but your extended family of twelve is another level of entertaining that just doesn’t excite you.
Support your favorite local restaurant and skip the piles of dishes. Give yourself permission to cater the party or start new holiday traditions. You’ll be a more cheerful hostess because of it!
Fuel Your Body
You need rest and proper nutrition to keep your energy up throughout the holiday season.
Eat a balanced diet. (That doesn’t mean one of each type of cookie on the dessert table.) Create a meal plan each week, shop for seasonal produce, and eat protein with every meal.
Take bedtime seriously. With so much traveling and so many evening gatherings, it’s easy to neglect the bedtime routine you work so hard to maintain the rest of the year. Step away from the party early, and get a good night’s sleep.
Be Still
One of the best things you can do when you’re constantly rushing from a work meeting to the mall to a dinner party is set aside time to be still. Do something quiet, creative, and just for you. If you’re itching to feel productive, paint a seasonal canvas as a gift or put together a playlist of your holiday favorites for the New Year’s Eve party.
Treat Yourself
I know you already have a gift picked out for everyone on your list. (Over-achiever!) Don’t forget to treat yourself—you deserve it.
Order a subscription box filled with productivity, mindset, and self-care products. Or try a month of coaching so you can focus on, well, you! Attend a post-holiday self-care retreat to replenish your mind, body, and soul. Do whatever feels good to you!