ARTICLE AD
There’s a specific feeling that arrives with mid-November. The air turns crisp, the days grow shorter, everything turns pumpkin-spice… and a certain pressure begins to build.
Some stores have been selling Christmas decorations for weeks now, but this time of year feels more broadly associated with the unofficial start of the “Holiday Season.”
And if you listen closely, the sound you won’t hear is an angel getting its wings… its the message: buy more, do more, be more.
Christmas is a season that promises joy, but often delivers exhaustion instead.
Our to-do lists stretch for miles: find the perfect gifts, host the perfect gathering, attend the party and the recital, work hard to create the perfect memory.
We run ourselves ragged in pursuit of a picture-perfect holiday, only to collapse on January 1st wondering where the magic went.
But what if there’s another way? What if it was possible to maximize joy and minimize both exhaustion and rest?
Well, it is. People do it all the time. And so can you.
This isn’t about being a Scrooge or being a downer by canceling all festivities or traditions. It’s about reclaiming them. It’s about trading the noise of expectation for the intentionality of purpose.
Here are a few ways to begin.
1. Start by questioning the gift list.
We often buy gifts out of habit or obligation, leading to a flurry of exchanged items that hold little real meaning. This year, consider a different approach. Have a courageous conversation with your extended family about drawing names, setting a spending limit, or better yet, shifting the focus entirely.
Perhaps you can gift experiences instead of objects—a promise of a hike together in the spring, tickets to a play, or the gift of your time and a homemade meal. The most cherished gifts are rarely the most expensive ones; they are the ones that say, “I see you, and I know what you love.”
Joshua Becker recommends these filters: 1) Needs over wants; 2) Experiences over possessions; 3) Quality over quantity; and 4) Consumables over nonconsumables.
2. Next, protect your calendar like the precious resource it is.
The holiday season can become a marathon of back-to-back events, leaving you with no time to actually enjoy the people you’re rushing to see. Give yourself permission to say “no” before automatically accepting every invitation, pause.
One of the most underrated skills in life today is taking a pause to think before saying “yes” or “no.” Especially this time of year, embrace the pause.
Ask yourself: Will this gathering fill me up or drain me? Will it create a genuine connection or just another line on the calendar? By intentionally choosing events to attend that promote your desired purpose for the holiday seasons, you transform events from obligations into authentic celebrations.
Guard an evening for just your immediate family to decorate the tree, or a quiet morning to sip coffee and read faith-based literature.
3. Then, simplify your traditions.
Sometimes we continue traditions not because they serve us, but just because we’ve always done them. A tradition should be a source of joy, not a stressful, annual chore.
Sit down with yourself and think through the events and activities you continue every year. What part of the holidays feels most special to each of you? Is it the specific cookie recipe, or is it simply the act of baking together? Is it the massive, elaborate feast, or is it the feeling of a full and grateful table?
Keep the traditions that make your heart feel light. Gently release the ones that feel heavy. A tradition is a beautiful servant but a terrible master.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, redefine what it means to be “generous.”
Our culture tightly links generosity with spending money. But your capacity for generosity is so much wider and deeper than your bank account.
Look for as many opportunities as possible to be generous.
Generosity is the gift of your full, undivided attention to a child telling a story. It’s a handwritten letter to an old friend. It’s shoveling a neighbor’s walk without being asked. It’s the willingness to listen without immediately trying to solve.
When we expand our definition of generosity, we find that we have an endless supply to give, and that this kind of giving nourishes the giver as much as the receiver.
This year, dare to do less. Choose meaning over madness. Let your holiday be not a performance for others, but an intentional reminder of all that you hold dear.
The greatest gift you can give yourself and those around you is a present, peaceful, and wholehearted you.
