Raise your hand if you secretly dread the razzle-dazzle time of year: with the people, the noise, the excess, the commercialisation, the demands, the waste, the trying to please, the time-poverty, the purse-poverty, the shoulds and the shouldn’ts, it’s an endless stream of inward groans for introverts.
If this is you, here are three simple ways to manage Christmas-induced anxiety, leaving you with a bit of yourself intact after the wrapping paper has been recycled and the leftovers put into the fridge.
- Say no to social events. You don’t have to accept them all, really. This leaves time to gear up and recharge before and after the one or two you do choose to graciously attend.
- Delegate. Buying gifts? Pick a store and get everyone a gift from one shop. Bookstores are good for this. Lunch at your house? It’s not too late to ask people to prepare and bring: cheese platters, fruit platters, chocolate platters, charcuterie platters, salad platters, dessert platters, cocktails, you name it. Gift wrapping? Older children can wrap for younger siblings; partners can wrap for older children.
- You don’t have to be perfect. We all know it’s a corrosive waste of time, and quite frankly, people actually don’t care. You’re the only one it means anything to, so go on and choose self-love over ego.
You can do this. Give yourself permission to put yourself first and reduce your longing for alone time in a darkened room.
Deep breath and faith, sister 😉