Alcoholics Anonymous defines insanity as “doing the same thing and expecting different results.” You don’t have to be in the program to see the logic of the statement. The concept is pretty simple, yet people (myself included) continue to behave insanely around the holidays. Cooking, cleaning, present wrapping, and people pleasing is exhausting. Come January, our emotional bandwidths are stretched further than our waistbands. We run ourselves frantic piling one demand on top of another. We impose unsurmountable expectations on ourselves. I for one, am trying to do things differently this year so I can truly enjoy the season.
For starters, I’m lengthening the time I have to accomplish my “To Do List” by starting earlier. I bought myself a whole month just by sending Thanksgiving cards instead of the traditional Christmas cards. Wrapping presents is a favorite holiday task of mine. The sooner I buy presents the sooner I can wrap them in pretty paper with coordinating ribbon. Continuing the tradition of making pizzelles fills my heart. Finding an empty shelf where the anise should be breaks my heart. Not to worry the extract has been in my pantry since before Halloween. No need to add to the stress by waiting too long. Been there, done that.
In attempting to do things differently this year I am willing to let go of my perfectionistic tendencies. I’ve realized the holiday seasons I enjoy the most are the ones I don’t feel the need to rush through. When I can be calm and present the stress of getting everything done is less daunting. Becoming the Grinch, which I have been known to do, is avoidable. If I want a different feeling this holiday season, I don’t have to change what I do, I have to change how I do it.
