Want holidays to include more joy and less stress?
We’ve spent the last two decades talking to families who have redesigned their lives to create more joy and less stress.
One way we’ve gotten smarter around how to do this is by taping the experts who are part of ThirdPath’s Integrated Life Advocate (ILA) community. In fact, we recently talked to our ILAs about the added stress too many of us experience around the holidays. In particular we wanted to learn if they had any tips to help us find more joy and less stress during this busy time of year.
Click the below YouTube video to listen to the recording of our conversation. We promise you’ll walk away with lots of new ideas. We based our conversation on a worksheet we created. Here’s what’s included in the worksheet:
Work and Time Off – December is a good month to set some limits around how much time you spend at work. How demanding is work in December? How much time can you take off? Do you need to work over the holidays? What can you do differently around work and taking time off next year?
Gift Giving – It’s easy to get caught up in gift giving and buy more than planned – sometimes putting a strain on our family budgets and values. It also takes time to buy gifts, including helping relatives know what gifts to give. What are you enjoying most about gift giving this year? What would you like to do differently next year?
Other Holiday Expectations – Creating holiday cards, putting up holiday decorations, attending holiday events – at work, with friends, and at your children’s schools – can all require a lot of time over the holidays. Which ones do you enjoy the most? Are there any you would like to skip next year?
Family Time and Family Traditions – The most important part of the holidays is creating time with our families. Which family traditions create the most fun and cause the least stress? Are there any that could be simplified or maybe even crossed off the list?
Holiday Planning – The fantasy is that holidays magically happen. The truth is: advance planning helps us focus on what is most important. It also helps us find ways to share the work load. Who can be part of your planning team and how can you work together to create more joy and less stress?
One of the best holiday gifts you can give yourself is to take 20 minutes after the holidays to write down your thoughts. Then next year, you can revisit your list as you plan for the following year.
Want a free copy of ThirdPath’s holiday planner?
Download it Here!
This word version of our worksheet will let you add your thoughts and keep track of what brought you more joy and less stress. Consider it our holiday gift to you!