Things To Do On Christmas To Get It Over With Already!

I promise, Iʻm not Scrooging or Grinching, but...

This holiday season has been unlike any other.

I'm a decorate-early-before-Thanksgiving-person, so I'm all in – all there and ready for the holidays!

But this year is different.

Peaks of positive emotion and energy have led to “Let's have a Solstice Party!” to “Let's have a holiday craft get together” to “How cute would it be to give people a beautiful sampler of yummy baked goods?” (this last one I actually did), while deep lows have pulled everything down, even quite literally (it pulled down the Christmas lights in the window I'd decided to hang...during a peak).

I was sitting on the sofa telling myself to relax, watching some show, and I heard a little creak, and then in a crinkling swoop, the string of lights fell right down off the wall! With no emotion whatsoever, I glanced over, while Bear jumped out of his cat bed, and I went back to watching the show.

This year has worn me down.

It started with three personal losses of family; two were sudden and unexpected deaths. My day job has been going through a 2-year, very taxing, gut-wrenching restructuring with a drastic change that happened earlier this month. Of course, thereʻs the election; that's all I'll say. Then Bear had a reaction to a food that turned into almost two weeks of being on litter box patrol – and because he's floofy, this becomes an extra nightmare. And then just recently, leaving the theater with friends, marveling over how great Wicked was, we came back to our car completely swiped, damaged by a hit and run. As I write this, our car is still in the shop for repairs.

But somehow, I've not crossed over to Scrooge or Grinchville.

If anything, all of this has taught me to cherish the years that have come before, when the holidays flowed, when I had the energy to make things, meet up with people, and host.

And always, always, I go back to my health – mine, Toast's, Bear's and my family and friends.

So although this year has worn me down, it's not taken the best of me.

In fact, it's shone a light on all the good, great things

. . . because darkness will do that, eventually.

You cannot have one without the other.

Having said that...

If you just want to get the holidays over with already, here are few things you can do:

📝 Journal

Wait, don't get mad at me for this one; I really mean it! I'm not talking about the journaling where you're planning your Vision for 2025 and all of that, because it's not ideal to do your manifesting when you're feeling low. I'd recommend doing something like the "morning pages" by Julia Cameron, author of one of my all-time favorite books, The Artist's Way, but instead of doing it first thing in the morning, do it anytime you want. The only guideline would be to write non-stop for 3 full pages - get anything and everything out onto the page. Let me tell you, this is cathartic! And when you get it out, you don't have to hold it in!

🎧 Listen to a Podcast

Here are a few favorites. Now I love learning, so many of these are podcasts with experts and doctors talking about something new. The Anderson Cooper ones helped me to access and feel the grief I was avoiding. If you like the True Crime type, let me know, because I have a few friends who are devoted to these and I can get you recommendations.

• Mel Robbins, specifically the episode with Dr. Gabor Maté called the shocking link between ADHD, addiction, autoimmune diseases, and trauma
• 10% Happier with Dan Harris, specifically the episode How To Survive The Holidays: advice for political conversations, overeating, and the indignities of travel
• All There Is with Anderson Cooper episodes: Facing Our Grief, Sadness Isn't An Enemy, Sharing Our Grief

🎞️ Watch a Movie or get Swept up in a Series

This is probably my favorite because I love shows and storylines and characters. And I'd recommend this for anyone who really needs to escape vs. 'process,' if you know what I mean! (We can process in January, right?!)

• The Madness (Thriller Series; Netflix; trailer) – If you want to just get into it and feel the craziness and frustration! This one kept me guessing the whole way through.
  
  
  
• We Were the Lucky Ones (Drama Series; Hulu; trailer) – Historical drama that will make you feel so grateful for your own life, no matter your situation.
  
  
  
• Where the Crawdads Sing (Drama Movie; Hulu; trailer) – Drama based on the book by Delia Owens, this is a riveting drama that will crack your heart open and put it back together again.
  
  
  
• Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (Documentary Movie; HBO max; trailer) – Don't knock it if you don't love "yacht rock!" If you loved Christopher Cross ("Sailing"), Michael McDonald ("What a Fool Believes") or Kenny Loggins in any capacity, you should watch. If you are a songwriter or musician, you must watch! And if you've never heard of any of these people but love "sitting down dancing music" try it!

• Daisy Jones & The Six (Drama Series; Prime Video; trailer) – If you love music, but don't prefer documentaries, try this! It's actually a love story.
  

🍃 Nature

Do anything having to do with nature. No matter the weather, bundle up and walk daily. Getting out under the sky, any fresh air, and if you're lucky enough, any friendly plants contributing beauty will do wonders! Here in the Pacific Northwest, we're blessed to sometimes be able to pick up sprigs of cedar that have fallen and make a cedar stick bundle to burn for cleansing. Start planning your garden and if you already have one, start planning out your plantings for Spring. If you won't be participating in many holiday gatherings start shifting your meals to include more whole foods. More whole foods = more nature.

🧹 Clutter Clearing

At the end of the day, all of these suggestions are basically about "moving the energy," changing things up, and clutter clearing does just that. So I'm putting it here with the thought that hey, even just clearing one drawer can feel satisfying. But also, here's a whole blog post about Decluttering For Calm And Clarity (For You and Your Cat, Too!) that goes pretty in depth about it, only in case you're interested.

For Those Who Are Into The Holidays

And if you've read up to this point and you've had an amazing year, and feel super festive, I didn't forget you!

Here's a recipe that I made this year from one of my favorite magazines, Real Simple. It's a most yummy Pistachio and White Chocolate (and Raspberry) Cookie Bark! I also altered the recipe to make a Mint Chocolate Cookie Bark as well.

And of course, you can always rely on and watch the holiday "feel-good" movies too. My personal faves are Elf, The Holiday, and Love Actually.

⛄️ 🔔 ❄️

---

In closing, I just want to let you know that, no matter what you may happen to be feeling either in this moment, or during this holiday season...

I'm grateful for you.

Thank you for sharing your time and energy with me and know that you are so loved.