Bio
I’m a blogger, podcaster, and blog coach for artists, writers, entrepreneurs and do-gooders. I’m also a big vision consultant who loves to help peopl...
 
 
 
 

What’s Hot on BlogHer.com

I Need a Slow Holiday (Do You?)

  • Share This Post
  • submit
  • 4
  • Sparkle (
    )
     

I don't know about you, but my life has been moving at a breakneck pace this month. Every year I tell myself, "I'm not going to get stressed out about the holidays," but inevitably I do.

I was thrilled to find Kirsten Dirksen's post on The Huffington Post, How to Have a Slow Holiday: Re-learning How to Play, and the accompanying video, Slow Christmas: how we play (no shopping required), about how her family celebrates Christmas. She writes:

"After all, polls show that 90% of Americans feel anxiety around the holidays. So I'd like to propose a solution: don't shop, play."

Love it.

Her family has "shopping-free" Christmases where people give things that they already own. Love that too!

Porter McConnell, of Slow Christmas has some good tips in her post, Down to the Wire: 3 Tips to Christmas Sanity. I particularly liked Tip 2:

"Ask yourself, is this a situation where my need for speed is legitimate, i.e. am I being pursued by bears?"

The Psychology Today blog, The Power of Slow, also has a post with Top Ten Ideas to Slow Down This Holiday Season by Christine Louise Hohlbaum. One of my favorites was:

"Busy is a mindset. Try saying the words 'I have time.'"

Finally, Slow Family Living has a 14-page Creating YOUR Slow Holiday e-book, which I just downloaded for $7.50. I'm going to hunker down with it this weekend. Most of it is workbook-style, with questions like:

"What messages do you get now from society and from friends and family about what the holidays should look and feel like?"

If you're one of the few people who doesn't get stressed out around the holidays, please, share your tips!

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Britt Bravo, also blogs at Have Fun * Do Good, WE tv's WE Volunteer blog, The Extraordinaries, and the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship blog. She is a Big Vision Consultant.

  • 4
  • Sparkle (
    )
     

Comments

Post comment as twitter logo facebook logo
Sort: Newest | Oldest
Britt Bravo 5 pts

Bayleigh - I'm glad you liked that idea too.  I can't think of how many times someone has asked me, "How are you?" and I say, "Busy."  I'd like to change that.

Alanna - Excellent idea!

Julianne - Gosh, I didn't even notice that, but you're right, they were all smooshed in the car without seatbelts.

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Britt Bravo ( http://blogher.org/?q=member/britt-bravo ), also blogs at Have Fun * Do Good ( http://havefundogood.blogspot.com/ ).

Julianne McLaughlin 5 pts

I enjoyed watching this family's holiday traditions right up to the point where seven of them crammed into a four person car.  Including the mother sitting on the father's lap in the FRONT SEAT and then proceeding to drive one hour from their home  to "Aunt Linda's house" with footage of them barreling down a highway.   Are you kidding me?  No one had on seat belts and they actually doubled up in the passenger front seat!!!???  Do yourselves a favor recycling gift family....wear a seat belt!  The best gift you can all give each other is your life.  Want to be around for next year's trip to Aunt Linda's?   Don't make this stupid mistake again. 

Alanna 5 pts

That's what I'm doing again this year, tis such a relief to live entirely in the real world.

Alanna Kellogg Kitchen Parade ( http://kitchenparade.com/ ) & A Veggie Venture ( http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/ )

Bayleigh 5 pts

"Busy is a mindset"... I love that! I'm going to try and remind myself of that.. although I don't know how much good it will do me. :)