Are you thriving or just surviving the holiday season?

I would love, just once, to experience the picture perfect Christmas time you see in the movies.  The beautifully decorated house, making cookies and a smorgasbord of other treats, the roaring log fire, everyone sitting around happily chatting or playing games, drinking eggnog and singing carols.  Of course, the reality is far from it.  We’re rushing here and there, gift buying, wrapping, making arrangements to be here there and everywhere all at once, #bellringing multiple times in the week to ring for all the carol services that we don’t get to stop for, packing the car up for the great boot swap and preparing the house for a brief daughter visit.  We’ve put minimal decorations up, and I haven’t had the chance or the inclination to do any Christmassy baking whatsoever.  That’s not to say that some of it isn’t enjoyable, but it’s not all the glamour and glitz social media feeds present us with.

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of lasting and enjoyable moments and memories. In 2014, Jim Rohn wrote six secrets for thriving, not just surviving, through the holidays:

1. Be temperate – enjoy the food, enjoy the treats, enjoy the busy schedule and parties but be disciplined enough to know when to hold back or say no.  Don’t go overboard then live to regret it the next day.  Enjoy a little of everything.
2. Lower your expectations – we can expect too much from friends and relatives in terms of the perfect presents, the perfect event.  If we lower our expectations, we are more likely to be pleased and satisfied with what we have, in turn making those around us feel more content.
3. Enjoy what you can and ignore the rest – this will turn out the way they will and you can’t control everyone and everything.  If someone or something presses your buttons ignore it and focus on the things you can enjoy.  Things won’t go perfectly, and that’s ok. 
4. Stay out of debt – make sure you know your limits as far as spending on presents, going out and all aspects of the Christmas season.  It shouldn’t be a burden, and you shouldn’t feel you need to spend huge amounts in order to have a good time, or to impress someone with your gift giving prowess.
5. Take time out for yourself – make sure you set aside time for you.  Make time to read, have a bath, go for  a walk, whatever it is that helps you relax.  Don’t feel you have to rush around all the time.  You need to reenergise your mind and body, and doing so will help you enjoy the rest of it.
6. Focus on your spirituality – the holiday season is naturally geared up for spiritual reflection, whatever tradition or background you come from and whatever spirituality means for you.  You don’t need to be religious to find some peace.

Whatever else happens this Christmas time, it gives us another chance to reflect and remember the important things in life, and to enjoy time with those dearest to us.