I’m so happy y’all responded well to the article I put up the other day about funks during the holidays! It seems like SO many of us are similar there, and funks aren’t all that uncommon during the holidays. It also got me thinking about the reason so many of us suffer from funks this time of year.

What I kept coming back to (along with a couple other things) is how there are crazy expectations on this time of year when it comes to our schedules and to-do list. If I’m not careful, I can easily wind up with a jam packed schedule of random holiday events, many of which I don’t actually want to go to. Or before I know it, I have 85 things on my to-do list, and 80 of them aren’t actually important to me or my happiness. Ugh.

So instead of writing a post about all the things y’all have to do this holiday season, I wanted to do the exact opposite. I’m not sure this will help us avoid funks altogether, but I know it can’t hurt. Plus, it’ll save a lot more time for hanging with friends, family, and spending time on ourselves (aka not getting holiday burnout).

Here are 3 things I’m saying no to this holiday season…

Recipes

Y’all probably know this by now, but I kinda suck at cooking. I’ve tried to get better, but I’ll be honest – things aren’t improving ha! It’s just not a priority for me in life right now! Which I’ve come to realize is OK. But anyways, I somehow always end up signing up for Friendsgiving or holiday parties where I’m supposed to bring something. And for some reason, I usually pick a recipe that sounds yummy on Pinterest but that I haven’t made before. Mix that in with the fact that I’m just not good at cooking, it always leaves me feeling stressed like WOAH…and the dish usually sucks.

So wanna know what I’m signing up for this year? Store bought stuff that tastes just fine and takes literally no effort. Transfer the item to a prettier dish, and I promise you know one will notice (or care). Doesn’t that sound relieving?! You can also sign up for things like wine if you fall into this same #badcook camp.

Stores

Yep. I’m avoiding stores as much as humanly possible because no matter where I go lately, it’s crazytown! It’s 2018 and there’s really no reason to go shopping in stores if you don’t enjoy it – which I don’t. Instead, I’m doing pretty much all my holiday shopping online, but I’m taking it further. Amazon has become my BFF for all home goods and random stuff, and sites like Instacart make grocery shopping soooo easy. As in someone else will do it for you. To me, it’s worth the extra money for delivery and it probably equals out when thinking about all the gas spent going to and from stores a million times. Right? That’s what I’m telling myself.

Things that don’t sound happy

This is a really simple one, and something I’ve actually gotten pretty good at TBH. We all get a lot of event invites this time of year, and the pressure to show up and show support can be heavy. I totes get it! But you know what? We all deserve to be happy and part of that is saying NO. If something doesn’t sound happy or like it’ll increase my happiness, I’m saying no. If it’s a charity thing, I’ll find another way to show support (donations, participating at a different time, etc). If it’s a friend’s party, they’ll get it if you’re honest. You can grab dinner with them once the holidays are over and your schedule is lighter. It’s a simple but seriously effective rule for making the holidays feel good.

I’m sure there are other things I’ll be saying no to, so maybe I’ll share them as I think of them on Stories – but for now, those are the 3 I’ve already committed to… or  not committed to?

Let me know if there are things you’re skipping this year!