Start by listing the traditions that typically take place in your home and ask the rest of the family to remind you of their favorites. After everything is listed, decide which five (or whatever number is a good fit for your family) are the most enjoyed and anticipated. Get out the calendar and schedule these traditions. Make your traditions and your time as a family the top priority. If you receive an invitation to something, check the calendar before you commit. Do not feel guilty about declining requests. If you feel the need to have an excuse, just say, “I’m sorry, we already have plans that day.” Because you do have plans that day! The person on the other end of the phone doesn’t need to know any more than that.
Give yourself the freedom to say “no” to activities and obligations that you don’t want to attend. This is not an excuse to become a hermit, but rather that you are choosing activities that build relationships while avoiding the activities that are mostly busyness.
Family traditions don’t have to be elaborate or take a ton of time. They also aren’t set in stone. Give yourself the freedom to embrace traditions that bring joy and peace to your family or drop traditions that don’t serve the wellbeing of your family. Simple traditions are more likely to get done, meaning you won’t feel overwhelmed with the planning and implementation.
What are your family’s most simple traditions?
Traditions are going to look different for every family, so please don’t compare.
If you don’t actually care for the traditions that your family currently has, feel free to create new ones! There are no right or wrongs here.
If making Christmas cookies stresses you out- feel free to buy them or skip cookies altogether.
And traditions don’t have to be the same every year- you can cycle through them. If you have several elaborate traditions - it’s ok if you don’t do every single one this year. You can do one this year and a different one next year- give yourself permission to do whatever you need to be able to enjoy it.
If your typical tradition is to visit 3 different houses on Christmas day- feel free to make other arrangements.
This is how my life started- The first year I was married we had 2 thanksgiving dinners and 3 Christmases to attend.
It made it so that it wasn’t fun, so I started alternating- Thanksgiving with one family, Christmas with the other and then we would switch the next year.
And if the extended family is not healthy- it’s perfectly fine to decide on just having a simple family day at home and have your own meal.
This week I’m launching my SImplify the Holidays course- you can find out the information by going to:
nourishingminimalism.com/simplify-the-holidays
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