It’s Holiday Time!
Believe it or not, the end of the year is almost here. I know multiple people who can tell me without thinking how soon Christmas will be here. Isn’t it bonkers! 2018 went by in the blink of an eye.
Usually around this time of year we start seeing a lot of articles about practicing gratitude (which is great, btw), slowing down (very necessary), and feeling all the nice and fuzzy feels.
However, let’s get real for a minute. The holidays can also be rough, am I right? We’ve got travel, extensive time with family, spending money… it can be a lot.
I notice that we also tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves this time of year, to do all of the things we “should” do and to have everything be “perfect”.
Think you’re not guilty of this? Have you ever found yourself desperately cleaning before company comes over? Maybe you spend more money than you’re comfortable with because it feels expected. Or maybe you cry when you try to make a really delicious dinner and it… sucks (something I know absolutely nothing about).
Hey, here’s some real talk. It doesn’t have to be this way. We are putting this pressure on ourselves. And it’s kind of bullshit.
We don’t have to do things that we don’t want to.
Let me say it again, we don’t have to do the things that we don’t want to.
We can decide to do something differently. We can have real conversations about the traditions that aren’t working for us anymore. Things can change, we can grow. You have permission.
So go be a holiday rebel, wear your ugly sweater whenever you want to. Spend what you can. Say no to events that will leave you feeling overwhelmed. Have heartfelt conversations about why.
And don’t forget to practice being grateful regularly like those other articles say, too. Shake off those expectations of your friends and family and be yourself, do what works for you, and have some fun.
PS. This applies to all of areas of our life, work, relationships, well-being. We put pressure on ourselves all day in lots of ways. Let’s decide that we want to make our lives a little lighter by not doing that. Okay? Okay.