The holidays is different for everyone. Big family, small family, near family, far families. There is no cookie cutter design for everyone and that's what makes the holidays so difficult and wonderful. I wanted to share some tips on how to survive the holiday season.
Away from Home
If you’re in college or are living away from family and friends, there
are many ways to cope. We live in the world of FaceTime, so take full advantage
of it. It’s so important to stay connected, especially in the times we live in
now. There are so many means of communication. Set up time with your family and
friends to call them while “cheers”ing over a glass of wine over.
If you want to spend the holidays with people but are new in town, a
great way to connect to others is through church (if that’s your thing) or volunteering.
Helping others feels good and well, it’s just nice. Great places to start: food
kitchens, food banks, shelters, missionaries, etc.
With Family
Family time can be amazing as it is stressful. The best thing is to
find balance. Try to give yourself time to just unwind, relax and breathe. Are
you celebrating at 4 different houses, are you making dishes for each or are
you hosting at your house this year? Regardless, there are ways to cut down
stress. If you’re hosting, suggest a potluck where each person can bring one
dish to help lighten the load. If you’re making a dish for each party you’re
going to, why not make the same dish for each one? This takes away the stress of
having to make 4 different dishes. As far as managing stress relating to
family, you’re on your own. Just kidding! Honestly, it can get very hectic with
the entire family in one house. Old business gets brought up, new business
begins to stir, add alcohol and it’s a recipe for who knows what.
During the holidays, I always try to remind myself of all the things I have
to be grateful for, #1 being my family. There are people who don’t have the luxury
to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones at all. So, I try to never take
those moments for granted. After losing my dad earlier this year, every celebration
(big or small) is special to me. I mean, how lucky are we to just be alive? To
have food, a home, warm clothes, all of it. We are so so so blessed.
With Friends
If you’re lucky enough, you have friends that you consider family. If
you have friends who love to host and throw parties, you’ve heard of Friendsiving,
Galsgiving, Friendsgivingmas and Friendsmas. People love food, people love
drinking and people love a good party. Why not take every moment to celebrate
what we’re grateful for: the people we care most about? Yes, this may be another one of those potlucks
you have to make something for, but these generally tend to be the party with
the lease amount of stress attached to it.
Gift Exchanges and Party Themes
Money can get tight around this time of year with all the parties and
gifts. There are a lot of affordable food options and recipes you can pick
from. Also, generally the gift exchange is optional and you do not need to participate
if you don’t want to. If the party has a theme like ugly sweater, you can make
that with anything old clothes you have lying around or ask around to see if
you can borrow one from someone. I mean, why spend $30 on a sweater you’ll wear
once. Another option is checking your local thrift shop.
I’ve always appreciated sentimental and thoughtful gifts over pricey
ones. I value experiences over expensive gifts so much more. Technology changes
every year but the memories we make last forever. Try to keep that in mind when
gifting this holiday season. The best gift isn’t always the biggest gift.
There is no one size fits all for the holidays (that’s what makes it so
fun), but I hope some of these ideas helped. The holidays are not about all the
food, gifts or even football (yes, I said it!). The holidays are about spending
quality time with the important people in your lives while remembering what you’re
grateful for. Happy holidays to you and yours and happy celebrating, however
that looks like.
With love,
Linh
