How do you keep the Christmas spirit w/daily chaos?

[itsanewme]

Gave my notice at work yesterday. June 08 will be 10yrs at the job and I'll be fully vested.
Of course this means lots of extra stress - feeling physically & emotionally drained, not sleeping, etc.

Late Oct I had another significant event happen in my life too (negative event)

How do you keep the Christmas spirit with significant changes going on in your life?

 

[christmascreations]

I simply try to remember everything that I love about the holidays and go from there. This has been a very stressful season for me also so I know what you mean.

Sometimes listening to the Christmas station and singing along "outloud" with a mug of hot cocoa definitely helps!!! Of course with it still reaching 80 degrees this weekend here in Florida I can't believe Christmas is only 17 days away!!!

I too have had problems sleeping and such and underwent a brainscan recently along with alot of blood taken for tests...acckk I go to the doctors on Thursday for all the results which will be more money that I don't really have right now!!!

 

[goodpace]

I've been trying so hard to keep my spirits up but last night was one I just had to give up on. We got the tree yesterday and it went fairly smooth until once it was up I was on my own. DH, and both DD's just disappeared into different parts of the house doing their own things. I searched high and low for some boxes of decorations-they too have disappeared. Since the move over the summer I can't find a thing. Boxes were labeled funny (from dozens of moves) and placed in not the right places-so I just gave up and went to bed early. DH was surprised to find me in bed at 10 (normally I'm a night owl 11:30-12:30 even on weekdays). He asked did I finish the tree and I explained the dilemma. He searched a few places I hadn't looked and did find a couple of boxes containing the lights and glass balls for the tree. Now if only I could find my Christmas Village houses. Today I will begin again and just do what I can even though I'm so far behind.
:tree:

 

[aggy]

I try to keep the spirit by just thinking of what the holidays mean to me - family and close friends, sharing. It's been a rocky road for me this year but as Maya Angelou simply put it, "Still I Rise." No matter what troubles or frustrations I'm going through, I am determined to rise above them and not let my Christmas spirit fade away. I love Christmas. It is the one holiday that I go all out for and look forward every year to celebrating it. So when I feel like people or situations are trying to rob me of my Christmas joy, I just think of how wonderful things are, have been or will be and smile. I will wrap gifts, play holiday music, bake cookies, watch holiday movies, plan activities with my family (mainly nieces and nephews) - anything to bring my spirits back up. Sometimes I step out on my balcony and look at the homes behind my apartment decorated for the holidays and it makes me smile. I tell myself, just trust in God and know that everything will work out. Maybe not the exact way I expect but it works out nonetheless. JUST SMILE.

 

[Lou]

I think we all experience stress because life is always throwing something at us! LOL!

I have been remembering the bible verse, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." So, I try to take a moment at the end of my day to watch something funny on TV/or do something that makes me laugh. It's even better when I'm laughing with my family. Last night we went out for dinner (I needed a break from studying for my math final) and something made my youngest son laugh--he has the most infectious laughter! So, I joined in and we must have laughed for a full minute! Oh, that felt soooo good!

Anyway, I try not to sweat the little stuff. We can't find our stockings (we too just moved) and my husband said, "So, just put it all under the tree!" And, we will. My kids are older so it's no big deal. Youngest son said it would just make the tree look more full that way. Good attitude!

What gets done, gets done. I refuse to stress over it (although it's in my nature to stress out if I don't remind myself to let it go).

Last but not least--I will 'cheat' if I think it helps. Example: we invite friends over for our annual exchange and in the past I've even postponed it till after Christmas because that year was especially stressful due to a cancer/hysterectomy experience. They totally understood, which was nice but if they hadn't I still would have done what I needed to do.

Oh, Christmas movies/music always lifts my mood too! :bigsnow:

 

[Lolwlias]

Late Oct I had another significant event happen in my life too (negative event)

How do you keep the Christmas spirit with significant changes going on in your life?

It's hard to answer this question. I have soooo much going on right now.
One of them a major financial medical situation, that has totally drained my income.
It's not easy.
I just tell myself each day that I will not let it bring me down and my faith in God keeps me going.
We all deal with things our own way. There is no right way and wrong way.
I'm sorry for all that you are going through, and I hope that things will get better soon.
Hang in there!

 

[Scarlett]

I think trying to get a 15 minute walk around the block or even a anaerobics class can keep you feeling better. I don't always have time every day for scheduled exercise, but I try to not sit so much and move my body. Eating well can make a difference in my attitude as well. Keep smiling!

 

[jackfrosty]

Hang in there! I know this place and you guys help me! Lively Christmas music and my kids, too!

 

[zchristy]

This sounds neurotic, but organization helps me enjoy the holidays in a way I probably never would. When I know everything will get done, I can slow down and enjoy the process and it makes me savour it.

Exterior circumstances like yours make it tough to enjoy the season, but focus on the traditions that comfort you, take care of yourself (Enough sleep, exercise, water etc) and find joy in the little things.

All the best with your retirement.

 

[SparkleNana]

You are right, ZChristy. Organization saves us. It gives us peace when the chaos of real life happens. That is why this group is such a blessing! We can help each other to be as organized as possible - and have lots of fun doing it!

 

[SparkleNana]

This morning, I read over this board. For me -- daily chaos is the reason I love magicalholidayhome (thank you, Gingerbug and wonderful mods!)

I can pretty much count on some unexpected chaos happening round the winter holidays (because it usually lasts for more than one holiday).

So - here it is February. We are savoring and remembering and enjoying good holidays past. And preparing (a little bit) for good holidays future. We are doing lots of enjoying and lots of sharing. We are doing some preparation -- trying to organize our homes better; our finances better; and doing a little holiday work in advance whenever we can enjoy it.

No matter what happens during the fall/winter of 2008, we will have all stored up a lot of joy and peace and appreciation and friendship. Hooray for us! :grouphug:

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Routines. When major crisis hit we need to set and follow them to the letter. When my dd was in her accident I went into some therapy for help in handling this life altering event. The best advice was to follow a routine for sleeping. You have to have sleep to handle the stress.

I told my self all day that I would go to sleep at 9:30 pm every night so I was mentally prepared. When 9:30 came I just turned and went to bed. After awhile I was actually going to sleep. I had a set time that I got up every morning no matter if I had slept or not.

It was funny when I first started because I would notice the time and just go to bed leaving whatever I was doing. Folding clothes, washing dishes, I just left them in the middle of the job. Other wise I would have finished that job and started another. After awhile I got so I could finish my jobs before 9:30 so I wouldn't find funny little unfinished jobs in the morning.

I also had set times to eat. When that time came I went and got something to eat. Something good for me, even if it was only an apple but it had to be something. After sleep, we need to eat to handle stress. I'm not saying you need to eat because of stress but our bodies do need food (not junk) to function.

Christmas spirit is what we make it. We can moan or we can celebrate. We make the choice what it will be. Money doesn't make Christmas spirit. It only takes one person to have Christmas spirit, not a crowd or even two people. Christmas spirit is within our selves. So what's in your spirit?

 

[SparkleNana]

Routines do save us in terrible times, Ahorsesoul. They also are blessings to us in regular normal busy, tired times. This is one of the things I read about routines for years!!!! But I couldn't understand what it meant. Until - finally - I watched myself in amazement as I went through the routine of putting the dishes in the dishwasher and cleaning up the kitchen -- without consciously deciding to do it at all! In fact, consciously I was too tired to do it. But -- like a robot -- there my body was doing it!!!

Now , I KNOW the value of routines to help us when we need help. I still do not always do my routines. But I do know that they will really help me. And I think about that.

You wrote that "Christmas spirit is what we make it", Ahorsesoul. You are right. On this board --To me -- I think we are making Christmas spirit now -- in February. We are building up joy and wisdom and comfort about Christmas -- here, together. Just by reading and sharing, and being among friends. And I think this will help us when stressful times come -- at Christmas, :rudolph: and at any time. ,

 

[Noelsmommy]

Well said......all of you!!!!


Kelly :applause:

 

[Ahorsesoul]

SparkleNana,

You are so right about the routines becoming so wonderful that we don't even notice we are doing them. I started with Flylady just to prove that NO ONE could clean their house in 15 minutes. I always was proud to be a "free spirit" not encumbered by routines. I could do anything a drop of a hat. Of course my house was a mess. So I started Flylady doing ONLY 15 per day and not one second more than that.

At that time my house was a maze of junk all around. There were only a few places to sit because I had "projects" piled all over.

I was so wrong and proud to say it. Routines have saved my life. I now have so much more time of my own I can't believe it. The house is company ready every day. Now instead of my "free spirit" running away from the house work I can just fly, without guilt, from a clean house to have fun with friends.

I have a dh and family members who do nothing for Christmas. For several years when I was so sick with my fibromyalgia no one did anything to make Christmas special. It was very depressing. I finally decided I had to make Christmas for me. If the others followed, fine.

Then I found OC (now MHH, which really is magical!). Now my family talks about picking up gifts early, one a month, so they aren't having budget problems in Dec! Wonder where they heard that! All because of this site and the wonderful people here!

I love this place and all of you! :rudolph:

 

[snowqueen]

Boy am I glad I read this tonight. I think there are a lot of people out there that are feeling like we are now. The economy is awful and to mention holidays right now makes people cringe. I need the routine and order to keep my sanity. If I can make it through the normal days, I can get a grip on what I need to do for the upcoming holidays. So many people around me are very stressed and very nervous lately. I have discussed the same things with them that everyone on here has mentioned. I feel more like I am right because I read pretty much the same things on here that I have said to others. I just needed to hear someone or read someone saying it also. I do come on MHH often and just reading what all of the wonderful people on hear say makes me know that I'm not alone and I try to spread that feeling to others. This site has been a great help to me in so many ways. I'd like to thank all of the wonderful people on here for being so encouraging and understanding not only to me but one another. Big hugs to all of you :grouphug: and I hope I haven't rambled to much. I just hope everyone realizes what a difference this site and the OC have made in so many peoples lives and how it helps to keep the spirit going.

 

[SparkleNana]

Snowqueen, I agree with you. And you spoke (wrote) beautifully. Boy, if the economy was bad in February, it is bad bad now. Somehow, my Christmas spirit is not paying attention to the genuinely terrible news out there in the real world. It is just happily going along in its Magical Holiday World. It is saying - Christmas is about music and beautiful stories and laughing and celebrating. And sharing a crust of bread and a cup of water with people you love, or people you like, is a feast when you bless it. (I would prefer to share hot chocolate and Christmas sweets.)

Has your Christmas spirit gone on vacation? Or is it hiding behind a mile-high pile of work and responsibilities and worries? Remember, we have this "additional" world here - our Magical Holiday Home. It's waiting for you to come and play and be happy, with us, anytime.
:sleigh:

 

[alisonmcg]

Can I just say ...what a beautiful thread. :-D I try to keep a little Christmas Spirit in me all year round. I also find when life in general is getting difficult I sit down,light my Christmas Cookie Yankee Candle and relax. The memories of Christmas come flooding back and I feel better. As for the current financial climate,well it's affecting all of us,and I know I'll be cutting back on gifts this year.

 

[starflake]

I agree that organization and routines help so much. They seem to provide a sense of security even during an unpredictable storm.

Meditation is my rock: becoming deeply rooted, in touch with my inner self, helps me see the bigger picture and the beauty of even the most trying situations. After all, even "mistakes" can serve us as learning experiences -- from simply realizing what we don't like (and therefore, getting closer to knowing what we love) to becoming stronger as individuals, and learning to put faith in ourselves and the universe (whatever your world view) that things will all be okay in the end.

Also, I find a great deal of peace when I reflect on my "wants" versus "needs." While I want all of the trimmings of the holiday and for everything to be well in my world, all I actually need in life is my life, the breath in my lungs, my soul. And as long as I have my mental faculties, my imagination is capable of wonders! And if I don't have my mental faculties, well, I won't know any better, will I? LOL So no matter what, everything will be okay.

When all else fails, I take a few deep breaths, paying attention to them, which returns me in consciousness to the present moment. With my thoughts settled into quiet peace, I then take stock of the situation at face-value instead of resisting and looking away (my surroundings/body/etc). From that point, if I can take action, I do, but if I can't, acceptance is all there is. To fight the situation only feeds unhappiness and wastes energy that is especially precious during trying times, when energy seems to be at its lowest ebb. When I have accepted, a peace settles within. At that point, I have done all I can, and again, I reflect on the fact that everything is going to be okay. "This too shall pass."

 

[FrostyShimmer]

For a long time they said Canada wouldn't be affected by these financial hardships, but as I see many of our friends putting their homes up for sale, and people unable to find work, I have to wonder.

The price of flour has doubled here in one month. It is no longer cheaper to bake than buy premade goods, though I'm certain the cost of commercial bread will escalate soon given their increased flour costs. I went to buy a facewash which was $22 a few months ago, and it is now $44. All this talk about food shortages is enough to make anyone sick. And on top of it all, we're moving and will have to buy our first home as it is actually more affordable to buy than to rent there.

Knowing that this will all likely get far worse before it gets better, I'm preparing for the holidays in advance this year more than ever. I think keeping Christmas in your heart helps you deal with the harder times. I've been reading a lot of historical fiction lately, and they didn't need the newest, fanciest things to enjoy the season. They were happy to get a rag doll sewn by their mother's own hands.

In my notebook I've made a chart for everyone and I am constantly adding gift ideas to it. As I see these items on sale or clearance I can pick them up. It's amazing how many great deals you can find when you do your shopping over 12 months rather than 1 or 2. I've also asked people to split gifts with me if I find something that costs more than I'm comfortable spending (another gifter, that is, not the receiver!) Also, knowing that the economy will mean less money for entertainment, I'm focusing on gifts that I can make. There will be more nights in to work on them, and it will also help the Christmas budget. Given our climate, everyone is always happy to receive another toque or pair of mittens. Every time someone asked me if I could make them an item over the winter, I wrote it in my notebook and intend on completing all of the projects by Christmas.

Besides, Christmas isn't about the things. This is an ideal time to focus on what really matters.