Have a happy holiday season without the stress!
Amidst the twinkling lights and festive cheer, the holiday season often brings a whirlwind of stress, especially for women trying to create the perfect magical experience for their families.
Jenny Layton shares three practical ways to alleviate the holiday pressure before it settles in.
Find more advice from Jenny on Instagram, @jlthehappygal and on her website, thehappygal.com.
How to Have a Happy Holiday Season Without the Stress
1. Define Your Magical Feel
Jenny challenges the notion that stress during the holidays is inevitable. She introduces the idea that much of the stress is self-imposed, a consequence of leaning the ladder against the wrong wall, as Stephen Covey puts it. Rather than fixating on the perfect decorations and traditions, Jenny encourages a shift in focus towards how the holiday season feels. She emphasizes the importance of considering what you genuinely want to experience during this time.
2. Include Family in the Conversation
The second step involves open communication within the family. Jenny suggests sitting down with family members to ask a simple yet profound question: “What makes the holidays magical for you?” By understanding the family’s genuine desires and priorities, it’s easier to plan the celebrations around meaningful moments rather than pressured expectations. This shift can be what aligns all holiday preparations.
3. Embrace Mindfulness
She illustrates the concept of mindfulness with a personal story of being present while decorating the Christmas tree with her teenager. The unplanned and spontaneous moment turned into a meaningful memory. Jenny encourages us to let go of unnecessary tasks and embrace the beauty of unplanned moments.
Bonus: Clutter-Free Gifting
Jenny addresses the physical clutter that often accumulates during the holidays, suggesting a clutter-free approach to gift-giving. Instead of focusing solely on material possessions, she proposes gifts that are experiences, subscriptions, or memberships—ideas that create lasting memories without contributing to post-holiday clutter.
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