The holidays are a prime time for many people to flex their creative muscles. I'm definitely not immune to this, but I'm learning that I have a tendency to get a "superwoman" complex about it. I get an idea in my head of what I'm going to make for people, but it never works out the way I intend. That causes a lot of holiday stress, and can put a damper on the holiday spirit as I grinch my way through the day. Here's what I've learned so far to help me tame my creative plans around the holidays.
Leave yourself enough time. I always overestimate the time I'll have for various projects. I'll forget the time it takes to make cookies and dinners, and won't start soon enough, or try to scramble through everything which causes me tons of stress. In this case, less really is more.
Make things easier on yourself. If you know you will have a lot of stress with family, friends, school, work, and other commitments, give yourself permission to take a few shortcuts that will make your life easier. Buy premade icing, or packaged cookie dough. Settle for making a more simple set of decorations instead of trying to "wow" everyone. The whole point of being with loved ones, is spending your time with them.
Give yourself breaks. If you have too much going on each day, and not enough rest, your immune system will be strained. If you don't take care of yourself, you could be at greater risk for getting sick during the holidays. Been there, done that. It's not fun.
Get as organized as possible. No one can plan for all the possibilities, but if you make a list of what you'll need in order to accomplish your projects, it can help you manage both your finances and your time.
Allow imperfections. Sometimes mistakes in our creations can end up giving us new ideas, or can even enhance what we thought we wanted to create. There's probably an easy way to fix an imperfection by putting a signature over it, a ribbon or bow, washi tape, or adhesive gems. Instead of beating yourself up over crafting mistakes, think of ways to cover or enhance it.
Ask for help. Don't be overly stubborn like me. Ask people to help with some of the easier parts of a task, or better yet make it a family/friends thing and have some quality time making memories while everyone helps. It's not about impressing everyone, it's just about having fun with the people who mean the most to you.Â
Do you have other ways you like to manage holiday stress? Feel free to leave your tried-and-true tips in the comments! Have a great day, and good luck with all those plans! :)