The festive season is so close and for many, the holidays may have already begun. Thus, you may need a guide on how to make the most of the holidays, so that you enjoy every minute of it. For me, the holidays have such an exciting lead up and often the waiting in anticipation can be almost as good as the festive events themselves.
This year, the holidays fall around weekends, which is a wonderful bonus for those who work Monday to Friday, as they’ll receive an extra few days off. However, if you’re back at work the Monday after Christmas, it may feel a bit like you’ve been jolted back into reality before NYE. If you think about it, the entire festive period is less than two weeks long, if you count from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day; it’s less than a week and a half. I don’t know about you, but I know I want to max out that period and squeeze every drop of festive fun out of it. The holiday season can be hectic, manic, and chaotic but it can also be the most wonderful time of the year.
Christmas may not be white where you are this year, so aside from a snow flurry, here’s how to make the most out of the festive season.
1. Plan Your Time
When the holidays come around it seems like they are a vast expanse, stretching out before you like uncharted lands to explore. The festive season appears full of promise and excitement, however it will inevitably come to an end and the routines of everyday life will be upon you before you know it. Therefore, it might be a wise idea to make plans in order to fit in everything you desire. Of course the holidays are full of surprises, and things can pop up at the last minute which may throw your plans off-kilter. The key is to make loose plans which can be added to or adapted, so that you can squeeze in everything you need or want to do, with a little wiggle room for occurrences such as unexpected guests, traffic jams, or cancellations. Time is precious, so don’t leave yourself open to disappointment that you didn’t use it wisely enough.
2. Make Time For Your Loved Ones
The holidays are a time for family and friends to show appreciation of each other and spend some quality time together. You may want to spend the majority of your time partying (which is great,) but remember our loved ones won’t be here forever, so let’s cherish every special second we get to spend with them!
3. Recharge Your Batteries
It is super tempting to burn the candle at both ends during the holiday season. What with all the family gatherings, socializing, drinking, partying, and staying up late just because you can, it can be really easy to miss out on rest in lieu of fun, but you need to make time to unwind. Recently The Guardian urged teachers to, “...relax over Christmas to avoid burnout” but I think we should all take the sound advice in order to face the new year feeling reenergized and revitalized!
4. Do Something For Others
Take a leaf out of Saint Nick’s book and do something good for others this holiday season; this could be giving someone a thoughtful gift, helping your family out with any jobs or chores, or even helping the homeless at a local soup kitchen. Whatever you choose to do, keep the real meaning of Christmas in mind and remember it’s all about giving not receiving.
5. Eat, Drink & Be Merry
Have fun this festive season and don’t put limits on yourself – you only live once. Obviously it goes without saying that one shouldn't dabble in harmful drugs or get dangerously drunk, but by all means, eat and drink to your heart’s content. If you usually stick to a “healthy eating” regime, leave counting the calories for another time – or never count them again and learn to be happy in your own skin whatever its size or shape. If you enjoy eating healthily and you don’t drink alcohol, that’s great too! Just make sure that whatever you consume, you seriously enjoy it, whether that be a quinoa salad and a kale smoothie or five different types of cheese and biscuits.
6. Don’t Overdo The Booze
As previously touched upon, it’s great to let your hair down during the holidays, but it’s good to know when enough is enough. You may feel like drinking more over the festive period, which is totally fine, but don’t let it ruin your fun. If booze gets the better of you, you may end up doing something you regret at the office party, or losing an entire day of your holidays due to a monster hangover. So take it steady and pace yourself with your alcohol intake this holiday season.
7. Get Into The Festive Spirit
From baking Christmas cookies, to wrapping gifts, to watching your favorite holiday movies; there are tons of ways to help you to get into the festive spirit and really enjoy the holidays. Whatever your favorite festive themed activities are, make sure you indulge in them, because usually it’s the only time of year that you can.
Ensure your holidays are happy by making the most of the festive season this year!
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