Here we are again, with the holidays, fast approaching, and that means so many things to so many different people. If you're like me, you embrace the holidays and give them a big, warm, welcoming hug, and you spend the last few months of this year just celebrating and decorating and partying. For others, that means it's time for more stress to be piled on top of an already stressful year. But I'm here to tell you the best thing to do to avoid stress during the holidays and to make your holidays as enjoyable as possible. It's gonna sound silly and it's gonna sound rudimentary, but Santa does it.
So make a list. A lot of times during the holidays a lot of the stress is just caused by trying to remember where we're supposed to be, what time we're supposed to be there, and what we're supposed to bring. Take those thoughts out of your head instead of having them roll around and you trying to remember, take those out of your head and put 'em on paper.
Now, phone apps do work, however, if you use a phone app, just make sure you set several reminders for each event, because a lot of times with phone apps, you don't look at 'em. You set it in your phone and you forget it, and if it doesn't remind you, you forget.
There have been lots of times, and I'm sure others have been like this, where you write something down so you won't forget it. But you never look at that paper again, because as soon as you write it down, it locks it in. I'm sure that's a phenomenon. Maybe it just happens to me, but there's just something about putting pen to paper that just seems to lock it in your memory. Taking those thoughts out of your head, putting them on paper, that just frees up your mind for so many different things. You're not trying to remember everything.
You don't have this, "oh my gosh" moment of "so-and-so is coming and I have nothing." So we'll run out to the store at the last minute to try to find 'em a gift that doesn't look like we ran out to the store last minute. What dish was I supposed to take over to my aunt's house or my grandma's house? What time were we supposed to be there?
Put all that on paper. Write it down. Take that stress out of your mind, and put it on paper. Take it off your plate so you're not trying to remember, you're just checking things off the list. That reduces your stress for the holidays and frees you up to have more fun to be more enjoyable. You'll forget far fewer things.
I'm not saying you'll be perfect at it, but it will be a big benefit. So that's the best way to enjoy your holiday season. As simple as it sounds.
The other thing about a list is that it gamifies Christmas. I have a list; let's check everything off. Every time you have a goal and you scratch something off, it's a rush of self-confidence, and then make your holidays more enjoyable.
And with that in mind, I'd like to share something that we here at Christmas Clatter help make, to help you have the best holiday you can. That's our official Christmas Clatter Christmas Planner. It's available on Amazon and. The link is Christmasclatter.live/planner, and it's got all kinds of charts in here for mailing lists and gift lists, and for any parties you're planning or any parties you're going to, including, what dish you're supposed to bring, even blank graph pages for notes, and the back half is a journal of reflections with some writing prompts.
The journal is for November and December; and you can write down those cherished holiday memories from Christmas past or any new memories that happened this holiday season. So if you wanna enjoy the holidays, I encourage you to write down everything you have to keep track of, be it in a planner or calendar. And if you choose and wanna support Christmas Clatter, just head on over to Christmasclatter.live/planner to pick it up from Amazon. Thank you for joining me.
And remember, as always, keep Christmas Hope alive every day.