WellBunny
Bounce back from bad habits

Holiday Time Management Tips

How do you get it all done, when you’re so overwhelmed you don’t know where to turn or what to tackle next? The holidays are stressful times for a lot of us, but these tips will work whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed.

I’ve had a lot going on lately, so I’ve got some experience with this situation. In the last two months…

• My mom had major surgery and required help until she was on her feet again
• I’m working on my final project to complete my MS in computer science. Deadline? December.
• I am project manager and lead developer on two major projects at work
• The dog got very sick, so there were many many vet trips
• I’m running four blogs
• I’m outlining a new novel
• Holidays!

Of course, everyday life doesn’t stop either. Cooking. Cleaning. Bills. Birthdays. Life doesn’t slow down just because things get a little crazy.

I’m not going to tell you that I held everything together just fine, or that I managed to keep up with everything like I wanted. Of course I didn’t, but I did do what was necessary and deal with everything else.

How? Here are two tips you can use to hold things together when you feel like everything (including you) is falling apart.

Negotiate

Talk to people. Tell them about your situation and ask for help, for more time, or get out of the commitment altogether.

This is how I handled my degree work. I asked for, and got, an extension because of everything I have going on.

Maybe you promised to do Christmas dinner, or you wanted to do hand-made gifts for everyone. You took on an extra project at work or volunteered to help with the kids’ school. Whatever it is, consider changing the plan. Keep in mind that if your promise has already been made to others, you need to make them aware of what you want to change as soon as possible. Don’t wait until two days before Christmas to tell the family you’re not cooking after all!

Be prepared to line out what has changed since you made the promise and explain why and how you can’t do it now. It’s important to bring solutions to the table as well. If you can’t cook, maybe you can talk to someone else first who will agree to do it in your place. Maybe a coworker would like the chance to take your project over. The point is, don’t just dump the problem on someone, come up with some ideas to solve it too.

Go ahead and renegotiate some of your commitments; you’ll feel much better for it. Most people will be very understanding if you explain the situation and don’t wait until the last minute. And if they’re not? Don’t let them make excuses for you or push it back onto you. Once you’ve decided to relinquish the responsibility, don’t get caught up in arguing about it.

Prioritize

When you can’t do everything, figure out what has to be done vs. what would be nice to do. Be brutally honest. We often lump a lot into the have-to-dos when they really aren’t.

You might normally vacuum twice a week. Maybe you’ll do it once a week while you’re busy. Maybe you planned to do homemade cookies for the holidays, but wouldn’t store-bought be easier, and I bet your family would eat them!

I did a bit of this as well over the holidays. I cooked a lot less than normal for Thanksgiving, and I enjoyed myself a lot more. I’ve done lots of online shopping and shipped things directly to the recipient. No, it’s not as personal as wrapping and shipping them myself, but it’s a lot easier and less stressful.

It’s not the end of the world if fewer things get done. Especially at the holidays, but all year round as well, your focus should be on spending time with family and friends and taking care of yourself. Those ought to be your priorities.

Dealing with Guilt

You might feel bad that things won’t be as special if you don’t go all out, but it will be. Some people may not like your changes, and they’ll try to make you feel guilty. Be prepared for it, and don’t let it get to you. I’d argue that the holidays can be even more special, because you won’t be tired, stressed, and frazzled!

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Tags: stress management, time management