It’s always sad to see summer end, but the most festive among us don’t see it as a bad thing. When the air gets cooler, it just means the holiday season is finally around the corner, which means a time to get together with family and friends and reflect on the tripsand life milestones that you’ve reached in the last year.
Sadly, it’s not easy for everyone to get into the holiday spirit. If you fall into this category, and have struggled to find a way to connect with the spirit of the season, don’t worry: this year will be different. There are ways to feel more festive while reducing some of the stresses involved with both hosting and organizing parties for large group of people.
Plan Out Your Time
Procrastination and stress go hand in hand, and if you’re stressed, there’s almost no chance you’re going to be able to enjoy the spirit of the holidays. So, if you want to eliminate stress and enjoy the spirit of the holidays, you should not procrastinate with your holiday plans.
Take a little time in the beginning of the season to plan out the events you expect to attend, and what they’re going to require of you. If you’re going to host a dinner, brainstorm who the guests will be and what kind of food you’re going to serve. If you’re going to attend a holiday party, think about what kind of gifts the hosts would appreciate most. Planning ahead removes the lingering stress cloud that prevents many people from fully getting into the holiday spirit, and is a major step towards getting in a festive mood. It can be useful to punch all the important information into a spreadsheet, which you can refer to as the season marches on.
Get In The Giving Mood
When you lend your services to people or give back to your community, it not only helps those directly affected, it benefits you too. There are ways for you to find services that you can get involved in—just run a quick Google search for charitable organizations in your area, and see if they’ll need any extra help come holiday time. Chances are you’ll find a way to get involved in an immensely rewarding activity, and the people who run these organizations are often incredibly giving and empathetic too. When you’re around people who are natural born givers, the feeling becomes infectious.
Change Your Wardrobe
Do you know what’s drab? Wearing boring colors during the holiday season. If you show up at a Christmas party wearing a worn t-shirt and some blue jeans, you’ll bring the entire festive energy down. Shopping for items with the season in mind is a great way to get into the spirit, and gives you a chance to express yourself in unique ways. There’s no other time of the year when wearing a ghastly sweater will generate laughs, so take advantage of it. Throw on a Santa hat, shop for Christmas dresses, and allow yourself to get in a festive mood with fun clothing options.
Play The Right Music
The soundtrack that you listened to all summer is not going to cut it come holiday time. The seasons have changed, and the vibes have too. Opt for something more smooth, with a little poignancy if you’re feeling refined. Jazz is classic, but if it’s not really your style dig through the many playlists available on streaming services like Spotify until you find something that sings to you.
Relax
If you don’t make time for your own relaxation, who will? Set aside some time for yourself, pick out some pleasantly scented holiday candles, and relax while watching a classic holiday movie or listening to some good music. If there’s a special someone (friend, girlfriend/boyfriend, husband/wife, whatever) to spend this time with, even better.
When you allow yourself to unwind, it’s easier to slip into the holiday spirit without worrying about the million things that work and life tend to pile on us. The holiday season is about temporarily putting all of that on a shelf and appreciating what we have.
Need a little extra help? Check out a meditation app and calm the mind, and make these holidays stress-free.
