Under the December Glitter Is the Grind

"Next, greet the vanity issue: Will it matter if you wear the same outfit as last year to a dinner party? Probably nobody else will notice, and even if they do, they won't care. Do you get pleasure out of handwriting cards and mailing them? Do it if you enjoy it. If not, send a simple electronic card to those who matter most. Eliminate 30 to 50 percent of everything on your list."

"How to Guard Your Energy Make a list of who matters most, which events matter most, and set a money spending limit. Then challenge your list. Do you really need to make candied pecans in gleaming jars? Or four pumpkin pies? Create simpler holiday menus. Ask yourself: Are those $100 items on your shopping list necessary to express love and kindness? Can you think of a less expensive way to show your love?"

"In December, many of us step into an alternate universe where what matters most is celebrating, cooking, baking, eating, drinking, buying, traveling, being with family or not, being alone or paired, and watching many hours of TV. All this focused activity requires tremendous effort, fueled by the longing for perfection and the desire to please others. You may eat or drink too much, spend too much, socialize too much, or give too much."

December often becomes an intense season of celebrating, cooking, baking, shopping, traveling, and prolonged TV viewing, creating pressure to achieve perfection and please others. That surge of effort commonly leads to overeating, overspending, oversocializing, and giving beyond one's limits. Guard energy by listing who and which events matter most, setting a spending cap, and eliminating 30–50% of items and obligations. Simplify menus and skip vanity-driven actions that add strain. Limit TV and social media to two hours daily. Practice five minutes of meditation to gain distance from intrusive thoughts and reduce overidentification with worrying mental narratives.

Read at Psychology Today