3011: Holiday Roadmap: Find Your Way to More Comfort and Joy (And Way Less Stress) by Courtney Carver of Be More With Less

[00:00:00] It's a minimalist Monday edition of Optimal Living Daily Episode 3011 Holiday Roadmap Find Your Way to More Comfort and Joy and Way Less Stress by Courtney Carver of BeMoreWithLess.com And I'm Justin Malik We're going to jump right into today's minimalist Monday post as we optimize your life

[00:00:23] Holiday Roadmap Find Your Way to More Comfort and Joy and Way Less Stress by Courtney Carver of BeMoreWithLess.com The holiday season can be both joyful and stressful and magical and overwhelming.

[00:00:39] Creating a simplicity inspired holiday roadmap will give you the freedom and resilience to trade holiday stress and anxiety for more love, peace, comfort and joy. Spend a little time now deciding how you want to experience the holiday season.

[00:00:56] Use the following recommendations to create a roadmap, include what's meaningful to you during the holidays, what's been overwhelming in the past, and a few rules that will help you navigate the holiday season in a way that resonates with your heart, even if that means doing things differently.

[00:01:13] Hold on to the traditions that warm your heart, but let go of the others, especially the ones you resent or find exhausting. As you're making your roadmap and considering what you want to include, ask yourself, does this fill my heart or empty it?

[00:01:29] Give yourself permission to engage in the holidays in ways that fill your heart and soul. Here are a few things you might want to include on your path to a season filled with things that matter most. 1. Get Cozy

[00:01:44] Cuddle up, light candles, make playlists full of your holiday favorites and other music that soothes your soul. This is the time of year to get cozy.

[00:01:54] For more inspiration, read The Little Book of Hugo, Danish Secrets to Happy Living, and Mike Willen-Smith's new book, Cozy Minimalist Home, More Style, Less Stuff. Dig in to cozy. 2. Choose a Holiday Uniform

[00:02:11] If you attend dressy events during the holidays, shop your closet now. Find something that works and then stop thinking about it. Wear it to all the dressy events and don't pay attention to holiday sales or worry about what you're going to wear.

[00:02:26] Choose a second, less formal look that you can wear to all other holiday related events. Prove to yourself that you don't need anything new to wear over the holidays.

[00:02:37] I can almost guarantee that this time next year no one will remember what you wore through the holiday season. They probably won't even remember the next day. 3. Opt Out of Gift Swaps Most gift swaps, white elephant, secret Santa, etc., are optional.

[00:02:56] If you don't want to spend time looking for the perfect gift under $20 or wonder what special item you'll get to go home with after the swap, opt out.

[00:03:06] You can still show up and laugh at the silly gifts and enjoy spending time with people without going through the motions of something you really don't care about.

[00:03:14] Another option is to shift the whole swap into a more meaningful event like bringing gifts for a homeless shelter or working together for a cause you all care about. Then everyone leaves with a full heart instead of a gift they probably don't want. 4. Quit Your Job

[00:03:34] If you get stressed out about managing other people's expectations, remind yourself that you are not the expectations manager. Resign. Quit your job. If you really think about it, you've never been very good at that job anyway and here's why.

[00:03:49] The only expectations you ever get a chance to manage are your own. You don't get to decide or manage how other people react or how they feel or deal with things. That's not your job. You can stop now. 5. Stop Apologizing

[00:04:07] Don't apologize for cricket stars, messy rapping, burnt cookies, or a home that looks lived in instead of picture perfect. We are in all of those things. Our imperfections make us perfect for each other. Use this as inspiration to stop apologizing for other things you aren't sorry for too.

[00:04:28] 6. Budget We don't need to go full on ba humbug, but creating boundaries with holiday budgets will allow us to engage in the best parts of the season.

[00:04:40] Those best parts look different for everyone, but moving through the end of the year with more intention will allow us to be healthier, happier, and more loving to ourselves and everyone around us. 7. Choose Presence with a C over Presence with a T

[00:04:58] I'm not opposed to exchanging gifts, but I am opposed to the attempt of buying or proving love with gifts. I'm opposed to compromising our budgets, schedules, and well-being in search of the perfect presence.

[00:05:12] I know there's nothing I can buy to show someone how much I love them. Love doesn't work like that. Give and receive gifts with love and gratitude, but remember that love isn't inside the box. You can't prove how much you love someone by giving them a present.

[00:05:30] 8. Build Resilience Protect yourself from getting sick and run down over the holidays by building resilience now. Double down on your self-care practices. Stop eating things that make you feel cruelly and sleep. Please sleep all to sleep. 9. Underdue It

[00:05:51] Don't try to cram it all in. You don't have to bake all the cookies, buy all the things, go to all the events, or even see all the people you want to see over the holidays.

[00:06:01] When you try to do everything, you don't enjoy anything, and when everything is important, nothing is. Be lovingly selective. Choose less. Give your time, energy, dollars, and love to what matters most to you. 10. Prioritize Delight

[00:06:21] We often sacrifice delight as we check off the boxes on our to-do list and fill our calendars with obligations and events in the name of holiday joy. But what really brings you joy? What makes your holidays magical? Put delight first for a change.

[00:06:39] The most meaningful holiday seasons aren't the ones with the most presents, the best meals, the craziest parties, and the least amount of sleep. We find meaning in the holidays and all of our days when we create space to listen to our hearts, time to believe in magic,

[00:06:56] and a love, health, and presence to show them all the way up for our lives. Let your roadmap be a guide and reminder to slow down when you need to slow down,

[00:07:06] say no when you need to say no, and to be open to finding peace, comfort, and joy in a way that works best for you. You just listened to the post titled, Holiday Roadmap,

[00:07:23] Find Your Way To More Comfort And Joy And Way Less Stress by Courtney Carver of BeMoreWithLess.com Thank you to Courtney. I'm sure no matter what you celebrate or have celebrated in the past, the memories were likely less about the gifts and more about the experience.

[00:07:42] I'm sure it will remember some gifts like I remember my brother and I getting our first video game system, the very first Nintendo, and getting a bike for my birthday one year. But those are few and far between compared to the trips to Big Bear,

[00:07:58] going on their Alpine Slide, a bobsled type thing, snow tubing. I don't think I'll ever forget those. But it's easy to get stuck trying to do the things we're supposed to do for the holidays and we lose sight of what's important. Definitely happens to me.

[00:08:14] Although I think this is the first year that my family is planning to not exchange gifts. It may be you thoroughly enjoy exchanging gifts and you remember the act of doing it and it adds value for you. That's great.

[00:08:26] For my family, I think it's losing its appeal and the stress isn't really worth it. But do what's best for you and most importantly don't do something basically on autopilot just because everybody else does. And with that, wishing you a happy holiday season.

[00:08:43] Thank you for being here and listening to me and for subscribing to or following the show. And I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.