Do Less, Be More

If your holiday season has become more about doing than about being, try this simple exercise: make a list of things you are not going to do this holiday season. This can help you refocus your energy away from your ballooning to-do list and on to the more important things this season.

For home blogger Nester, doing less and being more means foregoing both sending Christmas cards and hosting a holiday party; for intentional living blogger Jess Lively, it means creating a list of things she doesn’t want for Christmas, exfoliating from her life items she wouldn’t want to receive as gifts.

So – what aren’t you going to do this year? A good way to pinpoint things you should just say no to: make a quick list of everything you need to accomplish during the holiday season, from gift shopping and wrapping to baking, traveling, and partying. Then, hone in on the items on your list that are causing you anxiety. Perhaps you love Christmas shopping, but the thought of wrapping all your gifts is stressing you out. Consider paying stores the small fee to have your gifts wrapped on-the-spot, check out charity sponsored gift-wrapping services at your local mall, or make it a group effort by getting the whole family in on the wrapping one afternoon. If a whirl of holiday parties is overwhelming you, choose a select few to attend, and send brief-but-thoughtful declining notes to the remaining hostesses (no excuses necessary).

Just as importantly, use the time you gain to focus on being during this holiday season. Spend an afternoon with family … and give yourself permission not to bake, shop, or decorate yourself into a frenzy beforehand! Spend an evening alone with a cup of cocoa (or strolling your neighborhood taking in the lights), and dwell on the blessings you’ve experienced in 2012 and your goals for 2013.

Learning to do less and be more takes intention and practice, particularly during the busy holiday season. The simplicity and calm it reaps in your life will benefit you in every aspect of your life, as your life becomes more aligned with your life vision.