| Rushing around in a blizzard, buying gifts, putting up | | | | Holidays, then you can bet from past experience that |
| lights, planning dinners, attending parties, and preparing | | | | the holiday blues will catch up to you. The biggest |
| for Grandma all in the week before Christmas Day | | | | culprit of holiday anxiety is overspending, and the root |
| may be your idea of fun -- who am I to judge? But, I | | | | of overspending is not planning. To totally eliminate this |
| honestly never really believed people who claimed | | | | problem next year, decide how much you need, divide |
| they waited to do those things intentionally in the Spirit | | | | that by 48 weeks (skipping December), and |
| of Christmas. It always seemed to come out more like | | | | purposefully save that amount each week. I like the |
| the Spirit of Crankiness to me. | | | | physicality of actually putting $20 in a little Santa jar in |
| Holidays can bring out the best, or the worst, it seems. | | | | my closet; but a separate savings account at the bank |
| Thoughts of what could or should have been. | | | | will earn you a little interest too. Whatever works for |
| Thoughts of money problems, or relationship problems. | | | | you is what works. When Christmas rolls around next |
| Or being lonely in very personal ways. But the season | | | | year, you'll be set. But if you didn't do that for this year, |
| also brings with it the joy of giving, of helping, or | | | | the easiest way to keep the anxiety and credit card |
| reconnecting with others. This dichotomy can create a | | | | consequences under control is to be honest about it. |
| sort of imbalance in our lives. | | | | Make that list, just like Santa does - this eliminates |
| One thing for sure is that the holiday season takes up | | | | impulse spending, spending too much on one person, |
| a lot of room in our lives, physically, emotionally, | | | | not enough on another. This way you won't still feel |
| spiritually. And that squeeze on your time, energy, | | | | SQUEEZED by the holidays when spring flowers are |
| space and money can bring on the Holiday Blues. | | | | coming up. |
| But there are definitely ways to help keep the blues to | | | | If money is particularly tight this year... |
| a minimum. Try these ideas: | | | | Try giving charitable gifts of time instead of money. |
| Subtract, don't Add... | | | | Offer to baby sit on a particular day, or run an errand |
| The holidays generally bring to mind extra -- food, gifts, | | | | for a busy working mother. A word of caution, |
| sales, drinks, parties, people. By making a conscious | | | | however -- I had a friend who tried this and felt |
| choice to clear up your schedule, clean up your space, | | | | blindsided by the requests later. So I suggest that you |
| and dust off some old attitudes and habits, you can | | | | put some parameters around it. Example -- "Lil: 5 hours |
| easily make room for a happier holiday season. | | | | of babysitting on Saturday night Feb 14 (Valentine's) so |
| Physically box up and store (if you just can't bear to | | | | you and John can have a romantic night out". "Karla - 3 |
| toss it) anything that you don't need access to for the | | | | pickups of kids from school plus 2 hours of after |
| next couple of months. Streamline your pantry and | | | | school care during your busy Tax Time in April." "Bob - |
| refrigerator. Check your schedule and put things on | | | | 2 hours of yard work assistance when you plant your |
| hold that aren't vital right now. The idea here is not to | | | | garden in March." These all show your special |
| shove things into a corner, but to feel the lightness that | | | | knowledge of the person, and that's the best gift there |
| comes from actually removing things. Give the holidays | | | | is. You could also choose a birthday or an anniversary. |
| the room it needs for a holiday spirit to enter your | | | | Be sure to put it in your own calendar so you don't get |
| home, your mind, your heart, and the blues will be | | | | caught off-guard. |
| chased right out the door. . | | | | Holidays don't have to bring the blues with them. Beat |
| Decide what you'll spend... | | | | the Holiday Blues by making some decisions early |
| I know this is not popular, and who wants to count | | | | about your time, space, and attitude, and being creative |
| pennies in the Spirit of Giving. But if you didn't start last | | | | in how you handle the special situations the Holidays |
| year to put away money *specifically* for the | | | | bring. |