The Christmas season is filled with extra events and extra expectations. No matter how much we enjoy all the extras that come with the season, this busy time of year has the potential to cause stress, burnout, and disappointment. If we aren’t intentional with our choices and attitudes, we can let those extra expectations weigh us down, spoil our joy, drain our energy, and leave us disillusioned.
To combat the stress of all these seasonal extras, we need to find peace. I propose we find it by making peace with some realities of the season.
Make peace with the trappings of the season.
Some things come with the territory, like crowded shops, extra events, inflatable snowmen, and tacky Christmas music playing ad nauseum. These trappings may hinder rather than help you get into the true spirit of Christmas, but you can’t change them, so don’t waste energy getting upset it. Instead of letting yourself get irked by elaborate displays of commercialism, reframe your thoughts. Find a way to switch your focus by connecting the stuff that annoys you to something else that lets you think about blessings instead. For example, every time you hear, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” you could choose to remember a favorite memory about your grandmother.
Make peace with the fact that you can’t do it all.
The season has too much on offer. You simply can’t (and shouldn’t) squeeze every possible holiday activity into your schedules. Instead, you must pick and choose wisely, opting for activities and events that will be the most meaningful to you and yours this year. Consider what you can eliminate from your life this month in order to add some extra holiday fun. Can you cut back on housework? Drop an extracurricular for the month?
Make peace with imperfection.
Striving for perfection can be a joy-killer. If you hate baking cookies, admit it. If you can’t make Pinterest-worthy decorations, forgive yourself. Embrace what you can do and give yourself grace to call it sufficient. Also, remember that kids love to make holiday things such as cookies and ornaments. Remind yourself that the value (and the joy) is found in the creating. It doesn’t matter how beautiful or edible the results are, so long as you and loved ones enjoyed the making of it.
Make peace with the current reality.
Our world is a different place than it was two years ago. While some things feel more normal, the post-pandemic reality will continue to affect all of us and our holiday plans. Things like shortages, inflation, ongoing health concerns, and cancelled flights are part of our 2021 reality. We can either grumble and complain about it, or we can adjust our expectations to work around these issues. Your attitude is contagious, so setting a tone of contentment and gratitude despite problems will help the rest of the household enjoy the day.
Make peace with your limitations.
The holidays can be a difficult time to be a good steward of your time, energy, money, and well-being. If you neglect self-care in order to keep up with the extra expectations, your stressed-out, exhausted, grouchiness might just ruin all your hard work. If we want our loved ones to enjoy the season, we need to start by keeping our own energy and emotions in a healthy balance.
What unhelpful expectations do you need to make peace with this Christmas?
I wish you a season filled with joy, peace, and the smiles of loved ones.
