Last-Minute Stress-Busters and Nonmaterial Gifts
By Jennifer Errick
We see evidence of it year after year: Amid the stress of the holidays, more Americans are trying to find ways to reclaim the true meaning of the season. According to New American Dream's most recent holiday survey, 87 percent of Americans believe that the holidays should be more about family and caring for others, not about giving and receiving gifts.
Now, we shouldn't be ashamed to buy responsibly, but especially as the holidays draw closer, many of us make unnecessary purchases out of a sense of pressure and obigation. Instead of running around frantically for last-minute "extras," why not try a few nonmaterial alternatives? It can make a real difference in the quality of your celebration.
First Things First
Before making another shopping trip, try a few easy steps to simplify your holiday thinking:
- Consider just one thing you would change in your typical holiday celebration, and make a pledge to try it this year. Do you dread hosting the annual family get-together and wish you could ask your brother to do it this year? Have you wanted to volunteer with a local charity but feel like you never have the time? Whatever it is, making a pledge to do one special thing for yourself can make the errands for everyone else on your list feel more joyful and less like a chore.
- Reflect on what matters most to you during the holiday season. Whether you value time in nature, spirtual reflection, fun with family, inner tranquility, or just a lot of great food, keep the source of your enjoyment in mind and use it as a way to guide your time, money, and energy. It's never too late to create new traditions, like walks in the woods, family game nights, or charity drives to add meaning and enjoyment to the holidays.
- Delegate what you can, where you can. Ask family and friends for help decorating and cooking, and for company doing errands. If you're hosting parties, try making them potluck, or suggest a lower-stress alternative to an elaborate dinner, such as a dessert party or a low-key brunch of bagels and fruit.
- Do something silly. If you're stressed out, making a snowman, playing with finger paints, or jumping in a big pile of leaves is a great way to release some tension and have a little fun.
- Last-Minute Nonmaterial Presents.
The most important factor in giving any gift is not the cost but
consideration for the recipient. As always, a little thought
about what the people on your list really need and enjoy can
save a lot of time waiting in line. Here are a few ideas not
found in any store, that just might make someone's day. - A photograph you took, or a favorite poem or quote (hand- written), mounted in a spare picture frame.
- A "free lesson" kit. Depending on your skills and hobbies,
you may have everything you need in your workshop, craft area,
or kitchen to teach someone something you know. For example, put together a box of boards, nails, sandpaper, and paint, and
include a promise to show the recipient how to make a shelf or CD holder. Or fill a basket with several balls of pretty yarn,
a set of knitting needles, and the promise of a knitting lesson. For distant friends where an in-person visit is impractical,
writing out a special recipe and sending the required ingredients in pretty containers also makes a great present. - Make a booklet listing your top 10 memories of the recipient or the top 10 reasons why you love him or her.
- Schedule an Upside-Down Day. For a child on your list, pick a
day next month and let him or her set the agenda (with the
parents' permission). Take off your watch, wear pajamas under your coat to the movies, eat dessert for breakfast, play games
instead of doing chores, and let creativity rule the day. - Schedule a monthly lunch or dinner date and promise to cook 12
special meals for someone with whom you want to reconnect in the
coming year. - Make your own one-of-a-kind calendar for someone using family photos, cut-out pictures arranged in collages, and/or drawings.
- Make a donation to a cause your recipient cares deeply about.
Last but not least, the holidays are about giving back - and
every bit counts.