Does the holiday season bring your cheer or cause you to cringe? Do you get overwhelmed by all the things you have to do? You aren’t alone. Holiday stress is a real thing.
I find that many people put pressure on themselves to go BIG during the holidays.
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Cook big meals
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Buy all the gifts
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Decorate to the nines
Only to find that they dread the clean-up in the kitchen, retreat then spending when the bills come in, and put off taking down the decorations for a week because it is such a hassle. No wonder holiday stress is normal.
I will admit, I may seem like a scrooge, but I am not one to put out a lot of holiday decorations because I found it a pain to pull out ALL of the bins, lug them up from my basement, sort through decorations that I have carried around for years and through two moves…. only to leave them in the bin and then shove back in my storage space for another 11 month hibernation until the next holiday season.
Holiday decor is often bulky, hard to store properly and requires extra care when packing up.
I have seen full storage spaces with mostly holiday decor. It is taking up a large majority of the storage space, yet only used for 8% of the year. Think about your mortgage or rent and what you are spending on a yearly basis just to store holiday decor- some of which you don’t even use anymore but keep anyway.
A few years ago, I realized the insanity and the wasted energy and time I was spending when it came to holiday decor and decided that I wasn’t going to let holiday stress overwhelm me anymore.
I pared down my decor to those that I REALLY loved and enjoyed decorating my house with. I also looked at the effort that would be required for some decor like the garland on my staircase. I love the way it looks, but the effort to get it up and take it down and the space it took up in my storage space just didn’t outweigh the joy it brought me.
We have moved to:
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A tall Christmas tree covered with decorations that each have a special meaning or memory.
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A large holiday wreath on our front door
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A fully decorated mantle with a holiday banner and stockings
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A decorative frame to display our holiday cards
I still get the joy of decorating – cue the holiday music, red wine (as I am not a huge fan of egg nog) and get my kiddos in the festive spirit. And, then when it is time to put things away, I do not dread it as much. More holiday cheer and less holiday stress.
I can take care of it easily and do not feel the dread or gloom that I have in years past.
Now I know there are a lot of people who LOVE to decorate for the holidays and truly find joy in it- to you I say “go for it!”
Do what makes you happy and let’s see where there is an opportunity to simplify your decorating and overall supply of decorations.
Putting decorations away is one of the things I dread the most when the holidays end. It just isn’t fun as it symbolizes the end of the holiday celebrations. When I was living in Upstate NY, where it is often cold and gray for many months, it was downright depressing! There wasn’t much else to look forward to after all the prettiness was put away.
So, after years, I can finally say that I’ve crafted the formula that brings me, and my clients, holiday decorating (and deconstructing), bliss!
Simplify your holiday decor with 5 simple steps:
Take Note of What Brings You Excitement.
When you pull out the bins in November or early December – notice what decorations you gravitate towards, which ones are you excited to decorate with?
Clear Out Unused Items
Once your space is decorated, notice what is left in the bin – pull those out before you put your bins away during the holiday season. Consider donating or giving to a friend.
Pack-up Only Your Favorites
When January rolls around and it is time to wrap things up, take one more pass at your decor and really think – do I love this, is it worth toting around and taking up precious space and energy.
Get Proper Storage
When you are going to put your holiday decor away, consider how you are storing things. A few years back I invested in a bag for my Christmas tree instead of storing it in a beat-up cardboard box. It makes it so much easier to move it around and it just makes me happy to see it all contained in its own bag.
I’m huge fan of ornament storage and light storage too! When everything has a place, you not only find it easier to work with, but you get more life out of the items you have. In the long run, it saves money too! This one is obviously big on cutting down on holiday stress even for the next year.
Clear Out Your Gift Wrap
How much gift wrap do you actually use in a year? Why do we need to keep a huge stash? Figure out what you typically use in a year and keep that on hand. Just because it is on clearance does not mean you need to buy more than you need. Store it all together so you can actually find what you have and use it instead of buying more.
Want more tips for corralling and organizing your clutter beyond just this holiday season?
You deserve a more organized, streamlined life (and it’s okay to ask for help to get you there)!
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