5 tips to NOT get snowed under this December
Unpopular opinion: I used to love December, until I started running a business.
Actually, correction - I used to even love November (my birthday month!), so December was just a natural follow-on. Twinkling lights everywhere, warming ginger tea by day, and spicy mulled wine by night. A chance to see the sunrise and sunset at a reasonable time, and frosty morning runs.
Back when I was employed, December used to have a feeling of winding down - there was something wonderfully primal about it, like getting ready for hibernation… taking time to reflect, re-adjust and refresh.
However, nearly 2 years into as a business-owner, so much has changed. I have more autonomy over my time than ever before, but also more than ever before, I’m carrying the pressures of everyone I work with. The expectations of stakeholders, or project deliverables, marketing plans or budget forecasting, while perfectly familiar to me, are now solely between the client and me - not a team of 30, and 4 managerial sign-offs.
I am finding, more than ever before, that the arbitrary finality of December really gets to people - I’m seeing a huge increase in last-minute pushes (‘do you have time next week to get this extra project done?’), plenty of ‘let’s get this finished before end of year’, and lots of ‘is the 2024 Q1 digital marketing strategy finished??’.
Is anyone else seeing this? (Hand up, please tell me it’s not just me!)
That jittery, nervous energy is one of my least favourite feelings, and it’s seeping into my everyday reality, permeating all that I do and becoming this constant, high-pitched, unnerving noise in my head.
Is this the real life? Is it just fantasy? (Cue Queen…) Or is it being in charge of every aspect of your business, your life, your family's Christmas seating arrangement, the monthly Book Club, the whole family’s wishlist, all while at the same time trying to SOMEHOW keep getting exercise/fresh air, not forget to eat or drink water, and, oh yeah, never ever let a single client deadline fall through.
Is it just me? Well, I hope it’s only me, but I have a feeling it isn’t. According to my fresh-hot-off-the-press Instagram poll (and you know those are as good as a research paper 😉), a lot of you are feeling either simply ‘stressed’ or even ‘like you could cry’.
Fortune favours the prepared, so if you’re feeling stressed, nervous and jittery here are my 5 top tips to help you NOT get snowed-under this December…
List, list, list - to do list, shopping list, best films to watch list
I love a list. Quelle surprise, Operations and Digital Marketing Manager who loves a to-do list! I know, I know… but I swear by them. Did you know our brains are not designed to try and retain all the information that modern society is throwing at us? So why not become your brain’s best friend, stop the overwhelm simply by not trying to remember everything, all the time, off by heart.
Instead, write lists - all the lists. Use simple categories like ‘shopping for the week’, ‘presents for my family’ vs ‘presents for friends’. Type your lists up in trello if you hate your handwriting! Yes, you’ll have a lot of lists, but you’ll also tick them off much faster, and that little dopamine hit you get every time you tick something off your list can not be beaten!
STOP doing everybody else’s work.
How dare I, that’s not what you do at all - you’re an expert at juggling every organisational aspects of December. You don’t say no or ask for help because other people will take too long / mess it up / won’t get it quite right / insert another excuse why you won’t just let it go!
You know what? Let it go. Now you have all your lists, hand them out - partner, brother, friend, auntie - whoever you have, hand them a list and tell them (don’t ask, tell!) to pitch in.
Over the years I’ve become so fed up of trying to manage everything at this time of year that I’ve pushed back. And you can do the same. Remember, you’re just as human as the rest of them and yes, you CAN DO ALL THE THINGS - just not ALL AT ONCE or ON YOUR OWN.
BREATHE - if at all possible (if you’re still reading!) - breathe. Did you know that sitting in front of a screen or laptop can affect the way you breathe? Working all day in the same position your breathing becomes more shallow. This shallow breathing tricks your body into thinking you are stressed… when you’re not! 🤯
Long hours in one sitting position can leave you slouching and neglecting good posture. We hike our shoulders up, round our backs, and breathe very high, shallow, ‘lungs only’ breaths - rather than letting our abdominals do the work.
Long, abdominal breathing (google 4-2-6 breathing) can soothe our nervous system. It lowers the cortisol levels and switches off the stress response. So stand up every once in a while or practice some mindful breathing whenever you find yourself in breathing autopilot!
Don’t be sold on the craze
Sorry to break the spell but Christmas is just 2 bank holiday weekends. If you’re taking solid time off, like I am, I’m happy for you - do what feels good for you, whatever you’re able to do.
But please, please, please treat every sentence containing the word ‘should’ as a red flag. ‘I should get all these decorations up’, ‘I should get all this cooking done’, 'I should take the kids to Santa’s Grotto, and the Santa float, AND the lantern parade’… maybe you should, maybe you could, maybe you will. But this is your reminder that you DON’T HAVE TO. It’s often the expectations we place on ourselves that make us feel we ‘should’ do everything. Which takes me nicely onto my next point…
STOP, DROP, ROLL - last but not least…
Stop the overwhelm by dropping the weight of expectations and roll around in the simple joys.
For me, that’s snuggling up on the sofa with blankets and the cats. It’s green tea, brewed just right, with a slice of lemon. But most importantly, it’s the weight of expectations off my shoulders - especially my own expectations. I find they’re the heaviest.
Joy is knowing that whatever I manage to do this holiday season will be enough; because, before we know it, January will roll right back around, and we’ll carry on as we did before. The last thing I want, for me and for you, is starting the New Year burned out.
So, make your own joy a priority this holiday season, whatever shape that comes in! 🎄
If you enjoyed reading and think you and your business can benefit from my insights - get in touch!
