For most Americans, the weeks between now and New Year\u2019s are some of the busiest of the year. When we\u2019re not shopping, cooking, or decorating, we\u2019re socializing, eating, or traveling to the next event on the calendar. Yes, we mean well when we cram our time so full of activities and obligations: We want to have fun. We want to spend time with loved ones. We want to celebrate, eat good food, and look our best at every event.<\/p>\n
But often, we end up overdoing it. Instead of savoring seasonal cheer, we find ourselves irritable, stressed, and exhausted as we fall more and more behind on our to-do lists. In multiple areas, it\u2019s easy to inadvertently cross the line from \u201chealthy\u201d to \u201ctoo much,\u201d leaving ourselves inadequate margins of time and energy.<\/p>\n
One thing I\u2019ve learned during my career is that balance looks and feels different to everyone. There isn\u2019t a magic formula for staying within healthy boundaries. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to take your temperature in several key areas as you move through the next few weeks. Yes, going overboard might be tempting and easy to rationalize, but not at the expense of your well-being. When you stay focused on honoring your needs and values, you\u2019ll stand the best chance of creating a fulfilling holiday\u2014and of beginning 2014 in a good place physically and mentally.<\/p>\n
Here are seven key areas in which you should be careful not to overindulge:<\/p>\n
*The calendar crunch. <\/b>Cocktail parties. Potlucks. Gift exchanges. End-of-year company celebrations. Concerts. Fundraisers\u2026and the list goes on. These events are staples of the holiday season because they\u2019re supposed to be enjoyable. And they can <\/i>be\u2026but only if you curate your schedule. Try to avoid going to too many events or attending the wrong ones. As you pencil things in on your calendar, ask yourself: How much time do I need to recharge between events? How much time should I set aside to complete personal tasks? Will spending time with certain groups of people energize me or drain me?<\/i><\/p>\n
*The parade of requests. <\/b>Since seasonal events don\u2019t plan themselves, chances are you\u2019ll be asked to pitch in with your time, talents, energy, and money. As the requests come rolling in, resist the urge to automatically say yes to everything. Trust me: You don\u2019t have <\/i>to plan your company\u2019s holiday party just because you did so last year. You don\u2019t have <\/i>to stay up till 2 a.m. baking cookies for your child\u2019s class. You don\u2019t have<\/i> to host every member of your extended family for a holiday dinner. Keep your limits in mind and practice saying \u201cno.\u201d Don\u2019t give away so much of your energy that you have none left to enjoy this time of year!<\/p>\n
*The commercial frenzy. <\/b>There are a million and one things that Americans spend money on over the holidays. The problem is, as you walk through crowded malls and watch endless streams of red-and-green commercials, it\u2019s easy to get carried away with your wallet. Keep in mind that no purchase is worth the anxiety that a larger-than-expected credit card bill can bring. And especially be wary of overspending on clothing, shoes, handbags, and other items that are on sale, but that you don\u2019t need. When shopping for clothes specifically, I recommend looking at the garment first and the price second. And above all, remember that the best holiday memories won\u2019t involve \u201cstuff.\u201d Instead, they\u2019ll feature the people you love. So don\u2019t be afraid to create a budget and stick to it.<\/p>\n
*Decking the halls. <\/b>Decorations are a time-honored staple of this season. And with each year, glossy magazine spreads, television specials, and (most recently) <\/b>websites like Pinterest up the ante. As a result, I think that many of us have mistakenly gotten the impression that our homes need to look like Martha Stewart paid a visit. But the truth is, it\u2019s okay if your tree looks a little scraggly. You haven\u2019t dropped the ball if you didn\u2019t make each decoration by hand. As you deck your halls, ask yourself, Am I doing this because I\u2019ll really enjoy these decorations, or am I doing it so that other people will be impressed?<\/i> Remember, the most important thing is that you <\/i>enjoy being in your home.<\/p>\n
*Buffets, potlucks, and finger foods. (Oh my!) <\/b>The holidays are known for good food, good drink, and lots of it. It\u2019s tempting to partake until you\u2019re stuffed, and then continue partaking regardless. You may not want to hear it, but the truth is that you\u2019ll feel better physically and <\/i>emotionally if you limit your intake to a reasonable level. Be sure to drink lots of water, eat healthy foods, and avoid gorging on treats at every opportunity. I also recommend getting in some light exercise, even if you can work in only a short walk a few days a week.<\/p>\n
*Daydreams of perfection. <\/b>Does this sound familiar? Every year, you say to yourself, This year everything will be different. The holidays will be perfect. No arguments, no disagreements, no awkward silences. <\/i>But then, Uncle Tim makes inappropriate remarks at the dinner table, your teenage niece storms away from the table in a huff, and you can practically see your spouse\u2019s blood pressure rise as your mother makes critical comments. Ultimately, you\u2019re unreasonably disappointed. I\u2019m not suggesting that you put up with blatantly bad behavior, but do<\/i> manage your expectations. <\/i>You\u2019ll be much happier if you don\u2019t ask your imperfect\u2014but still valued\u2014loved ones to reenact a Hallmark commercial.<\/p>\n
*Virtual reality.<\/b> During the holidays, the impulse to share every little moment with your social networks might be even greater than normal. But before you update your status or post a photo for the 749th<\/sup> time, take a moment to consider whether the Internet really <\/i>needs to know what you\u2019re sharing. You don\u2019t want to run the risk of missing out on real life because you\u2019re so focused on your virtual one. Experiencing some things with your family and friends without <\/i>screens and keyboards is important.<\/p>\n Over the next few weeks, I hope you\u2019ll take a step back and intentionally design a celebration that is meaningful to you. Remember, there is no \u201cright\u201d way to celebrate the season. Don\u2019t feel bound by what your friends, the media, or our consumer culture tells you that you should <\/i>be doing. At their heart, the holidays are about love, fellowship, faith, and values. If you\u2019re focusing on those things, you\u2019ll stand the best chance of having a holiday that\u2019s truly filled with joy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For most Americans, the weeks between now and New Year\u2019s are some of the busiest of the year. When we\u2019re not shopping, cooking, or decorating, we\u2019re socializing, eating, or traveling to the next event on the calendar. Yes, we mean well when we cram our time so full of activities and obligations: We want to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,50,7,6,51],"tags":[111,53,75,74,52],"class_list":["post-195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-celebrate","category-decorations","category-health","category-holidays","category-shopping","tag-celebrate","tag-decorations-2","tag-health","tag-holidays","tag-shopping-2","wpbf-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":196,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195\/revisions\/196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}