It is that time of year when things can get crazy! The busyness of the season takes over and there can be non-stop events filling our calendar to the brim. It is easy to slip into total overwhelm and we can push ourselves to our limits by trying to get everything done before the year comes to an end.
We can get caught up in this madness and before we know it, we are stressed to the max, overwhelmed and feeling frustrated at just how little time we have left to get everything done. Most importantly we can completely lose the joy, fun and excitement of this time.
But, you CAN actually thrive during this time and make it to Christmas without losing your sanity! So here are 6 ways to help you thrive through the end of year craziness.
1. Get Clear on Your Priorities
There’s going to be more than enough to do during this time … it isn’t usually a time when you are sitting there scratching your head wondering what to do.
So, it is important to get clear on what your actual priorities are so that they take a front seat instead of getting forgotten and ignored during the whirlwind that it can feel like at this time of year.
Take some time, even just 15 minutes, to sit down and get clear on what your priorities are right now until the end of the year. What is important to you (remember the people in your life that you love)? How do you want to experience this time?
Then work out a schedule that can fit these priorities into your life. That’s right, I’m suggesting scheduling these priorities into your calendar … even family time… because otherwise we can find there is no time left for the things that are most important.
2. Get Good at Saying “No”
If you are one for saying “yes” to everything then now is the time to embrace a different way, because saying “yes” to everything, especially at this time of year will lead you running around like a headless chicken, stressed to the max and wondering why there is no time for you.
You don’t need to say yes to everything, you don’t need to attend every event or step up to every request of help. You don’t need to be a super human and do EVERYTHING! It is OK to say “no thank you” as well.
Once you are clear on your priorities and what you want to create during this time then making decisions on what to do and not do becomes so much easier. You know firstly what you can fit in and also what is important for you to be doing and not doing.
3. Schedule in Downtime and Looking After You
Filling up your calendar to the brim with events, functions and busyness is not going to get you to the end of the year in a good mental, emotional or physical state.
If you want to end the year feeling good, then it is important to look after yourself as well. Have downtime to relax, have fun and recharge your energy tanks.
Keep up your wellbeing practices whatever they be for you; exercise, meditation, yoga, journaling, getting enough sleep etc.
So often these are the first things that we cut out when we are busy and stressed, but actually they are the most important to keep during these times.
These practices are going to make the biggest difference to help you get through this time with more ease and flow.
You are important as well and if you are only getting caught up in the busyness of the season you risk burnout or getting sick because you are not taking care of yourself. Make yourself a priority.
4. Delete What You Don’t Need to Do
This is in line with saying no, but more about taking the pressure off ourselves to get everything done that we want. It can be easy to write down a massive list of everything we want to get done before the end of the year and think we can achieve it… and we probably can… but at what cost?
It is great to push ourselves and strive for excellence, just make sure you are not creating an unachievable list that will burn you out or that you are guaranteed to fail, which will make you feel bad because you didn’t get everything done. This can be a nasty self-sabotaging trap that we can fall into.
Delete things from your list that are just not that important, and don’t weigh yourself down with massive responsibility to get everything done. Recognise what is truly important to you and what really needs to be done and delete the rest off your list.
5. Delegate What You Can
You don’t need to do everything yourself and you don’t need to control everything. You are still worthy, deserving, enough and valuable even when you get other people to help with the things that need to be done.
You don’t need to break yourself to prove yourself to the world or anyone in it. Delegate some of the stuff you need to do. Get other people on board to help out to get everything done… it may even lead to better, deeper relationships and a greater sense of connection in your life.
6. Take Focused Action
When you are getting everything done, make sure it is focused action. Remove the distractions around you that will take your focus away as much as possible while you are in action. Instead of “pushing through” all the time and wasting a huge amount of time and energy being unproductive, take some real breaks and then come back to the tasks with more focus, clarity and determination.
When you are in focused action you are so much more productive, and you can get huge amounts done in a small amount of time…. Freeing up more time and space for downtime, fun and looking after you.
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As well as those 6 ways I want to leave you with this last tip. It is all about bringing more awareness to this time of year. Why is it that we put ourselves through this massive stress every year?
Is it actually achieving what we want to achieve? And are we forgetting about what is truly important to us and ignoring it in the process? Are we forgetting this is supposed to be a fun, magical and enjoyable time of year?
I encourage you to bring more awareness to what you are doing at this time of year and how you are doing it. That way it is going to be so much easier to thrive through to the end of the year with more ease and flow… and still have a smile on your face when it is over.
