The holiday season is a stressful time for everyone because it seems so much needs to be done in a short period of time. How do you prioritize all the commitments? How do you maximize time with family and friends? Let’s take a look at some time management techniques for the holidays.*
Start Early
Start thinking about holiday planning early. Plan the work then work the plan! It is helpful to have a common family calendar. This will allow everyone to see when all the events are happening so you don’t double-book yourself. For example, your work party might be the same night you are scheduled to drive the gang to the last soccer practice. Knowing about this early, will give you time to make alternate arrangements.
Wall calendars are very useful. They are large and it is easy to write in all the details for events. Assigning each person a different colour of marker to use on the calendar makes it easy to see whose events are whose. Families with teens who like to be “connected” all the time, may benefit from a shared Google calendar (or Apple calendar).
Make Lists and Prioritize
Santa Claus makes a list and we should too. Actually, we can make several lists. A gift list is what most people think about. Write down everyone you need to buy gifts for as well as some ideas. It helps to also write down a price range so you stay within your holiday budget.
Make a list of all the people you want to spend time with over the holidays as well. Include some ideas of activities you can do with those people. You may wish to create this list as a family to ensure everyone visits with their own friends. This is especially true for older children and teens who may want to celebrate with friends from extra-curricular activities.
Prioritizing is about choosing what is most important with the limited time that we have. It is hard to see everyone and do everything during the short holiday period. Take a look where people and activities combine. For example, gather your cousins together and visit Bright Nights in Stanley Park as a family event. If you and a friend both have to do holiday shopping, do it together and chat while you browse the mall.
Tame Your Tasks
Take a look at your lists and see where you can combine tasks. Are you near the mall on your lunch hour? Grab your gift list and knock off a couple of items to save time and the dreaded last-minute panicked shop.
Share pick-up and drop-off schedules for kids’ activities with other parents. You drop them off, they pick-up (or vice versa). It will give you a bit of free time to shop for kids’ gifts.
Decide if the task needs to be done at all. Don’t go through all the trouble of making homemade Christmas cake if nobody actually likes it. Or maybe a store-bought cake will do.
Not everything has to be GO! GO! GO! for the entire holiday. Enjoy some quiet times together like family movie night, a table-top game, or jigsaw puzzle.
Remember self-care routines are important too. Ensure you get enough rest and drink enough water. You can’t enjoy the holiday with anyone if you are not feeling your best.
For time management techniques for the holidays – and all year-round, read more here. If you want some personalized advice contact the Out of Chaos team.
*This article is based on my interview with Gloria Macarenko of the CBC Radio program On The Coast on December 5th, 2019.
Image by Neel Shakilov from Pixabay.
