Holidays Information

10 Tips for More Meaningful Holidays


No matter how many lists you make, cards you send, gifts you buy, or packages you wrap, there will be things you intended to do this holiday season that won't get done. If you do manage to get everything done, but you're too tired to enjoy the season, everyone suffers.

Consider these tips to minimize your stress and maximize the meaning this holiday season:

1. Tamper with tradition. Dragging yourself through "we've always done it" rituals when they've lost their meaning, and you've lost your energy, does not contribute to holiday joy.

2. Begin the season by making a list - but don't stop there. Pick out the most important item, the second, and on down the list. Remember, a creative mind always has more ideas than the body can accomplish!

3. Use your calendar - not just for appointments with other people, but with yourself as well. If you plan to send cards, estimate how much time it will take to write and address them, and block out that time on your calendar.

4. Ask your family what's important. Prepared foods instead of home-cooked means more time for sharing new sports equipment and relaxing with friends.

5. Avoid perfectionism in gift-giving. It's the thought that counts. Choose one or two gifts that can be used for several people. A relaxed parent or hostess is a greater gift than anything money can buy.

6. Focus your energy. If your family isn't as excited as you are about decorating the whole house, invest your efforts on what means the most to you.

7. If the holidays bring pain because of death, divorce, or family far away, be gentle with yourself. Recognize that grief is a healthy and that next year will be better, even if you can't believe it today. Concentrate on making other people's holiday more joyful.

8. Take time out from total togetherness. Let your child call a friend and take a nap. Give your siblings the car keys and a map. The idea is for everyone to enjoy the occasion.

9. Be clear about expectations. If you never tell your family what you want them to do, it's unfair to expect them to know.

10. Look over your list, leave off what you can live without, and enjoy the real reason for the season.

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Home Cooking for the Holidays Starts With Best American Lamb ...
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
NEW YORK, Oct 07, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Get into the holiday spirit with the American Lamb Board's "Best American Lamb Family Recipe Contest. ...


Telegraph.co.uk

Comment: the end of cheap holidays? Thank goodness
Times Online, UK - 5 hours ago
Dismissing the weekly headlines that have heralded the demise of cheap holidays has been easy, until now. Last week Britain’s two largest tour operators, ...
Travellers confused by financial protection Telegraph.co.uk
ABTA Holiday Survey shows continued demand for overseas holidays Travel Weekly UK
Holiday survey shows demand for foreign breaks Holiday Extras
World First Travel Insurance - TTG live
all 14 news articles


Holidays 'more important than ever'
The Press Association - 27 minutes ago
Parents are cutting back on drinking and eating out to afford holidays during the credit crunch, according to a poll. And 13% of mothers and fathers admit ...


Breathing easier, but still feeling the strain
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 7 hours ago
But it would not erase the past couple of years of sacrifice, especially having to move away from Toby, who she sees only in school holidays. ...


Rabbi returns to Richland for holidays
Mid Columbia Tri City Herald, WA - 5 hours ago
He's come here in 15 of the last 16 years to help members observe the High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, which are considered the most important ...


New Nokia Device Won't Be Here by Holidays
TheStreet.com - Oct 6, 2008
It's refreshing to report on a device that's not meant to be an Apple (AAPL Quote - Cramer on AAPL - Stock Picks) iPhone killer -- or an iPhone clone. ...


Telegraph.co.uk

100 top ski holidays: Best for luxury
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 5 hours ago
Peter Hardy's guide to the season's top ski breaks continues with the best luxury chalets. By Peter Hardy Chalet Cheyenne is a newly built Moroccan-themed ...


ATMs to dispense Amazon.com gift cards just in time for holidays
Self Service (press release), KY - 5 hours ago
MESA, Ariz. — According to a news release, Better ATM Services has reached agreements with Automated Cash Management Systems and APTUS Financial to ...


Go Crazy about Kenya with Acacia Adventure Holidays
Focus on Travel News, Turkey - 3 hours ago
Acacia Adventure Holidays and the Kenya Tourist Board have joined forces to create the new Crazy About Kenya website – an online portal that proves there’s ...


Vail Resorts Offers 'Holidays On Us'
OnTheSnow.com, CA - 3 hours ago
Vail Resorts is giving travelers a reason to celebrate the holidays this winter on the slopes at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone and at the ...

Holidays - Google News

home | site map
© 2006