Find your happy place
This is a beautiful time of year. The lights, trees, and music all come together to create a magical feeling that is the holidays. But there’s a dark side.
Too many people are rushing around trying to keep up with their normal, already hectic schedule while also adding in more school events, parties, and shopping than any one person can achieve in a single month.
When you add this to the stress of managing your business, it can become overwhelming quickly. This is a major season in a lot of industries that can dramatically affect your profit for the year.
So, how do you manage the stress of your everyday life and business, along with all the added stress the holidays can bring?
Here are 3 simple ways to keep your sanity and actually enjoy the season.
Prioritize
People, especially women, can feel a lot of pressure to create the perfect holiday for their families. Beautiful decorations, mounds of presents, and elegant parties for friends and family can add a lot of weight to your already burdened shoulders.
But it doesn’t have to.
When I really think about the Christmas’s of my childhood, I don’t remember the decorations, parties, or even the presents. I remember having breakfast with my family and playing with my cousins.
You’re in charge of what the holidays mean to you and you get to pick what’s important. Don’t worry about what you feel like you should be doing or what other people would think if you don’t hang lights. They don’t get to live your life, so they don’t get to dictate your priorities.
It’s ok to say no. And it’s ok to say yes! You should enjoy this time of year while it lasts, and you can’t do that if you’re trying to be everything to everyone.
Just remember, everyone else is just as stressed as you are. So, maybe make a pact with your friends and just get together in January when everyone actually has the time to enjoy it. You don’t have to cram 30 parties into one month just because Jingle Bells is on the radio. Your friends and family are just as important in the 1st quarter as they are in the 4th.
Planning
Do you feel stressed and overwhelmed? I want you to just sit and feel that. It sounds awful, but please trust me. Set 5 minutes on your timer, sit on your bed, and really explore what is stressing you out. Note that your shoulders are tight or that your chest feels heavy. Do it, then come back. I’ll wait.
Got it? Did you really marinate in those feelings?
What can you do to reduce that stress next year? I want to remind you that this happens every year and you shouldn’t be surprised by it. If you don’t plan ahead, you’re going to feel the exact same way 365 days from now.
Jot down a few ideas on how you can reduce your load, then follow through. That’s the tough part so I’ll say it again. Make a list of things you can do to make the holidays easier next year, THEN DO IT!
You know when is a really good time to buy presents? January. Or Memorial Day. The holiday sales generally aren’t that much better when compared to sales the rest of the year. And January has some of the BEST SALES because stores know that you’re tired and poor and unlikely to want to go shopping.
Is your business the major cause of your stress? What specifically are you spending your time on and how can you fix it for next year? Maybe through automation of your social media, hiring a virtual assistant, or improvements to your website. Whatever the case may be, you can start taking steps now so you’re better prepared next year.
Time off
Depending on your business, it may not be possible to take time off in December. Booming sales probably require your attention and you’ve got a million things to do to get through it all.
Did you know that anticipating a vacation can actually bring you more joy than the vacation itself? That means that planning some time off in January or February will improve your mental state and reduce your stress all through December.
This doesn’t mean that you have to pack up the family and get on a plane to go somewhere warm. That’s a whole new level of stress.
Even just reducing your work hours for a week or two can help you to reset your mind and improve the way you approach everyday tasks.
But I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you take some actual time off where you don’t answer emails or calls. If you just can’t take any time away from your business, figure out why that is and change it. The book E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber (many industry specific versions are available) can provide some fantastic insight into why you aren’t able to to take time off and how you can fix it.
These are just 3 of many ways that you can reduce the stress in your life around the holidays. It can be tough to swallow adding these things to your to-do list, but you’ll be doing yourself a favor.
Just keep in mind that if you don’t do anything except power through, then next year is going to look exactly the same as this one. Only you know why you are stressed, so you are the only one that can fix it.
Is bookkeeping adding to your stress? I can help! Still Waters Bookkeeping offers standard bookkeeping services as well as A/R management, A/P management, budgeting, and much more.