A Christmas strategy: How to survive the holidays

I change my strategy on how to navigate the holidays every so often. Mainly, it’s to avoid stress. Folks, I want to have a calm and quiet Christmas. I don’t want to deal with traffic. I plan my get-togethers with the execution of a precise surgeon to avoid this. And, I want to experience worry-free gift giving. Most of all, I wish to rid myself of that intense feeling (you know what I mean) in the air, and within me, that characterizes the season. Well, I don’t want to get rid of the feeling 100 percent; only the negative side of it. I can’t really describe all these emotions I feel exclusively during the Yuletide season. All I can say is that it is pure joy and a powerful melancholy, topped by anxiety. As a child, Christmas was all excitement for me. Simple. But as an adult, it became a ball of contradictions. Life is complicated, I know.

Now back to my strategy this year. I planned that I would buy gifts super early. It suits the procrastinator in me. So starting July, I was already scouting for presents. The choices, though, can be quite limited because the best Christmas offerings come during Christmas time, obviously! But early gift selection it was for me. And I thought: online ordering comes with the least hassle. There was a year when my strategy was to not give gifts to friends at all, limiting it to family and staff. It really eliminated stress, but somehow it made me feel like a non-participant in the season of giving, like the Grinch. I felt a little empty. This year, I had my personalized gift cards made early as well. By October, my gifts were delivered and stored. By early November, I was raring to send out my gifts. As a compromise, I started sending the gifts by the third week of November, so at least it was closer to Christmas than Halloween. The food gifts were delivered a little later, in the first week of December. The goal was that all gifts were signed, sealed, delivered way ahead.

Ideally, our Christmas tree is up by Nov. 3, also early. Then there is the planning of get-togethers, the menus, the last-minute “I forgot!” gifts. I also try not to go out or far, so as to not be stuck in horrific traffic. All these efforts just to achieve calm, but calm I am not. That “feeling” still permeates my being. I hate it — and love it.

One day, I will accept that this Christmas feeling cannot be avoided, and I must accept everything about it, the good and bad. There are even articles and guides out there on how to survive the holidays. And this is going to be one. The problem is legit. Put simply, I just don’t want to feel the Christmas blues. So, here are some of my suggestions or tips, to help focus on the positive during the holidays. And to keep calm and carry on, most of all.

1 I counter any sadness or stress by staring at my Christmas tree, and listening to carols. This makes me teary eyed, and brings out a feeling of bliss.

2 I try to “stay in the moment” during get-togethers with family and friends, not harassed. Treasure your family and hug them tight. That will surely bring out wonderful feelings and vibes. Give love on Christmas Day, right?

3 Do what you can do ahead of time, but not way too ahead of time. Maybe wait until after All Soul’s Day to put up your décor and tree. Yeah, yeah, we are in the Philippines and Christmas starts in September. If that makes you happy, then decorate your house that early.

4 If you choose to give non-food items, you can order or buy your gifts months early. I also buy a lot of gift-wrapping paper and ribbons, and order Christmas cards, tags and envelopes, so I can wrap these gifts anytime. My fantasy is to have a gift-wrapping room. The problem, though, is storage. It would be nice to have an empty cabinet or space for this.

5 Order food gifts in early November. By that time, establishments will have a complete list of their holiday offerings. Then schedule delivery by the first week of December. There will be only a little traffic by then, and you can still get a Grab or Lalamove delivery guy, if that’s how you plan on sending these items. But doing it later will be more difficult, or impossible.

6 Don’t spread yourself too thin, by trying to go to all Christmas parties you are invited to. Choose what is meaningful for you. Sometimes, people have more than one celebration to attend in a day, which leaves them frazzled. My friends and I get together early on and it’s great. We have time, we enjoy each other’s company, and are not rushed. Family affairs are closer, or on Christmas and New Year’s itself. Just have a realistic schedule, that’s all.

7 Last is to find time for introspection, meditation and prayer. There is no better way to ground you. I sit down to meditate every day, even if sometimes my mind “travels.” It’s still good, though. What is Christmas? Why do we celebrate? How do I focus on what’s truly important this season? How can I create memories I will cherish?

The holidays are really a time of happiness, and even some despair because of the avalanche of “to do’s” — but it’s there. And I don’t want to lose sight of what it really means. So shoo away Christmas blues and stress: I wish it to stop gatecrashing, and raining on my parade. With that in mind, have a happy, peaceful, stress-free, and well-strategized holiday season!