Five Steps to a Stress-free Holiday Event

Five Steps to a Stress-free Holiday Event

I’d like to offer five steps to make a holiday meal or social event less stressful. I have outlined the five steps below and provided more detail further down in the article.

The five steps

1. Start early
2. Make a plan
3. Break it down
4. Enlist support
5. Allow for ease and joy

1. Start early: How early? As early as you can! Begin by looking at your home as if the guests were arriving in an hour. What would you want to be different when they arrive? I am willing to bet that some of the tidying up and putting away of random items that seem to collect in odd places could be done right now. As an added bonus, by giving yourself extra time, you can put things away properly rather than shoving them into a box and sticking it in the “guest room”.

2. Make a plan: Not a list person? Make your plan by creating a mind map or using sticky notes on a poster board to create action steps for your event. If you are a traditional list person, create a list of action items with estimated timeframes to complete each task. Take a highlighter and identify the ones that can be done ahead of time. If you are using sticky notes, you might use different colors to indicate the tasks that can be done early and the ones that must be done just prior to your event.

Your plan might include an activity or pastime for guests to engage in in case your estimated starting time ends up being a little later than planned :-). You might have family pictures available for guests to look at, or a slideshow of your latest trip. At our home, we set up a table for my son to play “Go Fish” with his Grandma while we do the final preparations.

3. Break it down: Rather than having an action item such as “Go shopping,” be specific. Who will do the shopping? Where will they shop? Can some shopping be done ahead of time, while some needs to be done the day before? Is there shopping other than food that you would like to allow time to do, such as for candles or other decorations? Identify items that you will need that may need to be cleaned, washed or polished and plan to do those tasks ahead of time. See also our blog post on preparing for holiday meals.

4. Enlist support: Instead of trying to do everything yourself, identify which action items could be done by another family member, a friend, or a professional. Even young children can help by scrubbing the potatoes or setting the table and there may be someone else who can do at least some of the shopping or food prep. In order to delegate, one must let go of perfectionism, and realize that things may not be done just as you would have done them, but letting go of perfectionism is a step towards growth in and of itself!  If you like, you can even have a complete meal delivered to your home.

5. Allow for ease and joy: It is all too easy to get caught up in the details and forget to save enough time and energy to have a good time! Get enough sleep, eat well, exercise and keep up with the routines that keep you whole and happy. Be conscious that going for a walk or having a chat with a friend may make all of your other preparations much more joyful.

Wishing you all the best of the Holiday Season!

Need a last minute gift? Gift a friend (or yourself!) with a registration to our Declutter Your Life ~ Free your Spirit workshop on January 26th.