5 Steps To Get Holidays To-Do’s More Organized

In my article 3 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress, one of the suggestions was to get yourself organized. 

If you feel overwhelmed with all the things you think you need to get done between now and the New Year, check out these five steps to get more organized and feel in control so you can enjoy the holidays better.

5 Steps To Get Holidays To-Do’s More Organized

1. Write down all you need to do. 

Grab a pen and paper and write down everything in your brain you need to get done this holiday season. This step will immediately reduce stress because you won’t be worried about forgetting anything.

2. Mark off what isn’t necessary.

Sometimes, we create more tasks for ourselves than what is really needed. Go through each item and if any one of them isn’t an absolute requirement, consider scratching it from your list or at least see if you can find a way to simplify it.

3. Schedule tasks on your calendar. 

Take your list and schedule these things on your calendar. Focus on the most urgent. See what tasks can be combined to make the most of your time. Add in travel and a little wiggle room time. Try not to schedule anything on the actual day of your celebration so you can enjoy being present in the moment.

4. Slowly tackle each to-do. 

One by one, work on each to-do. Multi-tasking too many things at one time can actually end up taking longer than if you did them individually, and they typically aren’t done as well. As you tackle each to-do, enjoy the satisfaction of crossing it off your list. Before you know it, you will have made significant progress.

5. Be okay if you can’t get it all done or it isn’t “perfect.”

We tend to over-commit and complicate things, but most tasks aren’t as critical as we think they are. If you can’t get something done or get it done to your expectations, give yourself some grace. What you were hoping to do will probably not be noticed or be “perfect” to someone else. Also, there is nothing wrong with asking for or paying for help to get things done when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Sometimes we are so busy trying to make a holiday memorable, that we miss out on what’s truly important. Give these steps a try to help you feel more in control and less stressed, so you enjoy the season. 

To a healthy and enjoyable holiday season,

Jen

3 Ways To Reduce Holiday Stress

As wonderful as the holidays are, they can come with extra stress and anxiety. 

Our schedules are fuller with special programs at school, parties with friends, gatherings with family, get-togethers with co-workers, and extra opportunities assisting those in need. Not to mention all the holiday decorating, traditional baking, and shopping for gifts. 

If you feel a bit overwhelmed this season, you aren’t alone. My clients and I are also feeling the holiday pressure. However, you can do a few things to feel more in control and, therefore, enjoy the holidays more.

3 Ways To Reduce Holiday Stress

1. Take some deep breaths.

When you start to feel your stress level rise, nothing works faster than taking a moment to do some deep breathing. It can immediately lower your heart rate, calm the brain, relax the body, and decrease hormone levels. All you have to do is close your eyes, inhale through your nose, fill up your lungs with as much air as possible, and slowly exhale through your mouth. Repeat this a few times. Doing some deep breathing doesn’t take long, but the benefit can help you the whole holiday season.

2. Get your to-do’s organized. 

When the list of things you need to get done is overwhelming, you have to organize yourself. Take all those to-do’s swimming around in your head and put them on paper. Dump them all. This will help you feel like your list is achievable and decrease your anxiety. For more on how to best organize your to-do list, see my article 5 Steps To Get Holidays To-Do’s More Organized.

3. Schedule time to work out and relax.

No matter how long your to-do list is, you can still make time to get a good workout done and relax for a bit. You can’t afford not to take care of yourself. Workouts might have to be shorter or different than what you usually do. This is okay. Remember this change is temporary. You can still get a good workout done in 10 minutes. Simply taking a walk can be a good break from all that is happening. And of course, be sure to just relax a little. Read a book, watch a holiday show, or talk with a friend—all ways to recharge yourself this holiday season.

Comment below and let me know: 

• Which of these do you already practice this time of year? 
• Which ones will you try? 
• Which stress-reducing techniques do you use that aren’t listed?

To a healthy and enjoyable holiday season,

Jen

3 Daily Healthy Habits Not Related to Food or Exercise

Typically when people think about healthy habits, they consider habits related to eating better and exercising regularly. But not all healthy habits have to do with these two areas. In fact, other healthy habits that reduce stress, improve sleep, maintain a positive mindset, and increase productivity - just to name a few - can be equally as valuable or even more important to our well-being. 

Improvement in the above mentioned areas can support the habits of eating better and exercising regularly. For example, if you are less stressed, you may eat better. Or if you get more sleep, you will have more energy to exercise. 

So what are those daily habits that help you maintain good health but aren’t food or movement related? And why are they important to you? 

I’m going to share with you my top three daily healthy habits that aren’t about food or exercise, how I do them, and how they help my well-being. The reason these healthy habits have become so important to me is they connect me with some of my biggest “whys” for having and maintaining a healthy lifestyle - my faith and my family. Yours may do the same.

Jen’s Top 3 Daily Healthy Habits

1. Start the day with quiet time.

How I do it: My alarm goes off at a minimum of one hour before my first client, which normally is between 5-6 a.m., or any other scheduled appointment. One key part of how I start my day is in what I call quiet time. I take about 15 minutes to read the Bible, write some thoughts, and say some prayers. 

How it helps: First, having this daily practice strengthens my faith. For me, my faith is the most important investment I can make. If I left this for another part of my day, chances are I wouldn’t get it done. Second, this habit helps me give the best to my clients and family.

2. Schedule time away from my phone in the evening.

How I do it: From dinner time until I go to bed, I keep my phone away and do not look at it. Before I get in bed, I check it again for any messages from my clients or friends that need urgent attention. 

How it helps: Setting a “no phone” time gives me the much-needed break from devices in the day. But mainly I do this habit because it gives my family more of my attention. Evenings spent as a family are very important. Any messages or social media checks can wait.

3. Read before going to sleep.

How I do it: Once I respond to needed messages, I plug my phone in across the room in the bathroom to charge for the night. Then, I read a book until I get sleepy. Which actually isn’t very long. I honestly can’t get past a few pages until I am ready to go to bed.

How it helps: I get more and better sleep when I read before bed and move my phone away from me. I am not tempted to pick up my phone and respond to messages, google something, or browse social media. That can cause a downward spiral, affecting both quality and quantity of sleep. Reading helps to distract my mind from all the things that can race through it at night. And it puts me to sleep faster. Also, my alarm, which is my phone, being in the bathroom keeps me from hitting the snooze and being rushed as I mentioned above. With my early morning wake-ups, I need great sleep so I am not a zombie for my family later in the day. 

What about you?

I would love to hear what non-food and exercise-related healthy habits are very important to you and why. Please comment below. 

If you struggle to get healthy habits like these established and need some help and accountability, let’s chat about it. 

While eating right and getting plenty of exercise are important, other healthy habits can be just as valuable to your overall well being. Ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities need us to take good care of ourselves. 

To your best health and wellness,

Jen