In my last post I reflected so much gratitude for the folks who do holiday labor. Today I want to share what I do when I don’t have much to give energetically but still want to milk the holiday cheer for all the seasonal depression busting magic it has to offer my dopamine stash.
Low Stress Holiday Tub
When I moved to the forest from Los Angeles, I downsized 85%. I intentionally packed the holiday decor in tubs based on whether they made for ease to decorate a tiny house. I had no idea my living situation beyond that 2019 Christmas in my cute tiny house sublet, but having a little vintage throw pillow santa, a couple of cute decorative signs, my christmas dish towel and oven mitts. (All of these are from thrift stores over the years. I’m passionate about shopping second hand for environmental sustainability and to not support wage slavery.)
I’ve added to the bin now: my christmas tree paper banner, my little wooden christmas trees. Easy to swap in and out decor that once I get that box out of the shed it’s just a matter of taking 20 minutes to do the labor.
The Low Stress Holiday Tub (TM) makes it very possible for me to feel festive, and decorating a small space doesn’t take much to have a big impact!
I really miss having room for a christmas tree (even my little 4 foot one in Brooklyn) but I also know that these years are short in the scheme of a hopefully long life where I will once more have room for not just a living room tree but WELCOME foyer trees and trees in everyone’s bedrooms. In the years I can do THE MOST I shall. In these years where my energy is directed other places I do what has the biggest impact (this time of year recently I’m focusing on communications work preparing and supporting my small fitness business for the January opportunities).
Digital Holiday Connections!
My friend Kendrra showed up to a holiday season Discord video chat hang out with a festive fireplace to share with me and Mindie and we played some holiday music! None of us had yet touched our holiday decor but we used our digital tools to make our connection festive!
There are lots of ways to do holiday decor digitally in our lil universe! And in these times when staying home is safer and our loved ones can be germ free visited from the comfort of home, making it nice and holiday cheerful is really sweet!
Go ahead and throw on that Zoom video filter virtual strand of holiday lights! Click on the zoom.us menu, preferences, background and video effects menu, then video filter and scroll to the holiday lights! Boom! Minimal effort, maximal cheer!
Movies!
You were gonna binge watch something, why not favorite holiday movies?! I watched the Muppet Christmas Carol for the 20 something time a couple days ago, cried real tears, remembered the magic of gratitude, how fleeting the years are, realized I’m being a Scrooge to myself when I get so frugal about heating my house. Cried watching Bob and Emily Cratchit have four kids around a table, vowed to raise my glass and say “God Bless Us, Every One” whenever I can.
Movies are a minimal effort delightful vector for holiday cheer!
Also if you’re comfort watching Gilmore Girls or the Office or whatever, why not watch all the Christmas episodes!
Let it Go!
My friend Deidra was raised Mormon and she told me as a little girl she vowed not to live the kind of stressed holiday life where she did all the labor and didn’t have any fun. She was surrounded by Mormon moms who were socialized to put everyone else’s comfort and happiness before their own. Deidra centers her experience of holiday cheer.
On a Discord chat tonight she declared, “That bin behind me? It’s decor that’s not going up. The tree is done, that decor I don’t have energy for this year and it’s going to go back into the cupboard under the stairs. Maybe next year!”
A spirit of letting it go if the Goddess isn’t letting it flow? YES PLEASE. I call in ease!
Holiday Audio Book
2018 was a rough holiday season for me and I started a tradition of listening to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Cheer on audiobook. Each story is about seven minutes, it’s easy to pop in and out of and I really love being reminded of other people’s miracles.
Holiday cheer at its best is when people love and care. It can be so easy to focus on all the bonkers stuff going on in the world. But tales of Christmas generosity is super inspiring and heart warming.
I bet there’s a great holiday book that could go into your audiobook liberry and help bring holiday cheer to you (and maybe you’re co-habitants as well).
Tidings of Comfort and Joy to you!!!
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