Seeing our family and friends during the Holidays can be truly rewarding, especially after months of social distancing! However, the holiday season also brings many commitments that leave those who prefer their own company feeling depleted. When your ideal winter sounds like curling up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket, a good book and a furry companion snoozing next to you: the holidays can quickly become stressful. Luckily, there are some easy hacks to recharge yourself, leaving you to enjoy the company of others this festive season
- Acknowledge your feelings.
Even if it’s not your usual habit, try keeping some morning pages over the holiday season. You could set your alarm for 10 minutes before others in the house and do a quick check-in with a morning brew. Write out your thoughts and plans for the day, and touch base: do these plans make you anxious? What kind of strategies can you use if things start to feel overwhelming?
You might feel guilty for not appreciating this time with family and friends, but try not to judge yourself too harshly. If your hometown is under tight restrictions, you and your immediate relatives might be confined to a limited space. It’s normal for the holidays to bring emotions to the surface, and getting back into old rhythms after living at college will take adjustment! Recognizing your frustrations can be very cathartic and prevents you from bottling it up until it becomes too much.
2. Offer to be the bin elf/dish fairy!
Volunteering to do some chores is a great way to slope off and get some alone time during festive gatherings. While the rest of the family is chatting away, snacking or playing games, be the helpful soul who gathers up all the stray wrapping paper and takes the trash out. (Just please don’t bin any gift cards by mistake!). Alternatively, offer to do the dishes while others relax after dinner or lunch. You can turn on some quiet music, don those rubber gloves and enjoy a good 45 minutes of solitude.
3. Write some thank you notes.
Another handy way to sneak away for some me-time. After gift exchanges are done, excuse yourself by letting others know you want to get some thank you notes written out while you still have all the gift tags. It’s a great reason to head off to a quiet part of the house and will satisfy your detail-oriented and organized side! As a bonus, it really does save you having to recall “who got who what” later on.
4. Make a gratitude jar.
Each day, take a piece of paper, put in one thing you are grateful for, and place it in a jar. At the end of the holidays, you will have filled it full of positive memories. Maybe you attended a social commitment that sucked, but you feel proud of yourself for going. Perhaps you are grateful that your grandparents were able to FaceTime you! Whatever it is, writing out these little notes can help reframe your overall perspective on the holidays and see that there are small positives even under challenging situations.
5. Pace yourself.
After a year of quarantine, some people will be very keen to get back to in-person events. Others may still be nervous. Knowing your limits and where you stand ahead of time can be really helpful. Keeping a diary or calendar with a week-to-week view gives you a chance to review and space out social commitments. Try to be firm. If you know you already have a lot on your plate one day, suggest another time or less demanding activity like watching a film together or having a phone call.
6. Suggest a quiet group activity.
Maybe you have a huge extended family, and there is just no chance of an hour alone. Try suggesting an activity that requires some concentration: pull out a mega jigsaw puzzle, crafty supplies or colouring books. This gives you the perfect excuse to keep focused on one thing, preventing sensory overload while maintaining the illusion of being sociable. It’s Christmas magic!
7. Do some holiday baking.
A great chance to flex those culinary skills you’ve learned being away at college. Let your family or roommates know you’re going to need access to the kitchen for an hour or so and get working on a recipe. You can pass around your creation to family members and friends later, so it’s a win for everyone.
Hopefully, these tactics help you find some moments of silence. Remember, needing to recharge doesn’t mean you don’t love or enjoy being near your family and friends. Grabbing some alone-time just makes it that much better when you do join in with the fun!