Ah the holidays! A time filled with festive smiles, an abundance of sugary foods and lots and lots of stress. Yep, I said it. The holidays can be incredibly stressful, however that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to make them more enjoyable. Although you may be worried about buying the perfect gift for your significant other, or wanting to be unofficially voted best dressed at the office christmas party, there are parts of the holiday season that you can focus on to help relieve some of that unnecessary stress. So, here are my 5 top tips to have a fun filled and successful holiday season.
Number 1: Take as many photos as humanly possible
Even though everybody always says they are going to take photos, somehow they always walk out of the party with an empty camera roll. Now’s the time to change that! The holiday season is filled with so many exciting parties and happy moments, so take advantage by snapping as many pictures as you can. Now, I’m not saying you should only focus on taking quality Instagram shots, but instead, recognize the beauty of every moment that you will be able to look back on. Also, everyone seems to be in a really good mood during the holidays, so having photos where everyone is actually smiling is a great accomplishment. So grab that polaroid, and take on the role of a pap at your next party.
Number 2: Be with your family as much as you can
Personally, to me, family time is the best time. However, when you are home for the holidays, it can be easy to neglect your family and want to go visit friends you haven’t seen in awhile. While this is a great thing to do, the holidays are really all about spending quality time with your fam bam. Of course your family members are always a text away, but how often do you get to just sit and enjoy their presence? Not that often, I bet. So use these 2 to 3 weeks off and enjoy catching up with your loved ones. Try to find things that you can do with your whole family and things that everyone will love. Maybe go ice skating, cook a holiday meal or even just relax in front of the TV with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Anyone who says they don’t like that movie is a total liar.
Number 3: Eat those holiday cookies
You have been good all year (well, hopefully for at least most of the year), so in the spirit of giving, give yourself the gift of a holiday treat. This time of year is when everyone is celebrating not only specific holidays, but also the togetherness that surrounds us. And with togetherness comes food. Lots and lots of food. So please, do yourself a favor and enjoy a treat. Don’t go ham, though. You will thank me later when you are not curled up in a food coma like grandpa Joe over there. If you are feeling extra festive, try to find some unique holiday recipes online (I suggest pinterest, it has literally everything you could ever dream of) and be your own Martha Stewart.
Number 4: Give more than you receive
Christmas? Presents!! Hunakauh? Presents!! Kwanzaa? More presents!!! Although this is all great, it shouldn’t be the only thing you think about this holiday season. The action of giving is something that I think a lot of us forget how to do. But in reality, the feeling you get when you give someone a gift and see their face light up is way better than opening up a new fancy watch. The best part about giving is when you do something nice for someone else, it’s almost inevitable that they will do something nice for another person. If we’re lucky, this chain of kindness can go on for miles and miles and for year and years. Who knows, maybe it will make its way all the way back to you. Even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on gifts (I’m looking at you college students), you can always make DIY gifts or plan small price tag free trips with your friends and family. No matter what you give them, if it’s from your heart, they will love it.
Number 5: Have an absolute, freakin blast
What rhymes with holiday? Partaay!! Kinda. But anyways, this time of year is a time when everyone is super festive and full of so much cheer, so use that to your advantage! Go out, have fun, and make memories that will last forever. These memories could even just be spent snuggled up with your mom in front of the fire watching a classic christmas film. Utilize this time to forget about school or work for a while and do the things you love, with the ones you love. The holiday season only comes once a year, so you better make it a good one.
To wrap things up (ha get it, cause of wrapping paper), everybody to deserves to have an incredible holiday season. No matter what, when, or how you celebrate it, make sure that you make every moment count. You have made it through another year and now is the time to give yourself the best present of the holidays – joy. Have a very happy holiday season and may your hearts be filled with love, and your tummies filled with hot cocoa. :)
