I’ll be honest, I mean “seasonal” as in “Christmas”, as I write this. I love the idea of having different organisation systems that run with the natural seasons, but frankly, I have enough difficulty staying organised as it is!
Without wanting to bang on too much about the C-word (though we do have some fabulous things in the shop, and our subscriptions make brilliant presents for those hard-to-buy-for people), I can’t be the only one who finds that everything seems to speed up terrifyingly at this time of year.
With four businesses, two cats, a day job and a home to run, November onwards is a constant battle of trying to find enough time to do All The Things. And today I managed to lose a week. Then I gained it again! Fortunately, I met a friend to panic about how I was going to get things organised for Friday. I’ve rarely been so relieved as when she pointed out that 1st December isn’t until NEXT Friday.
Cue sheepish face and a sigh of relief!
But what can you DO to make this time of year less frenetic? I have no tried-and-tested advice, but I will share the list I made this afternoon while recovering from my lost and found week. This totally wasn’t today’s planned blog post. However, it’s very cathartic and hopefully, I won’t be the only one grappling with sudden diary insanity!
My thoughts on surviving the festive season
– where possible, make arrangements to see friends in January to catch up. Rather than cramming everyone into December and being a crazy sleep-deprived person. One who is in the middle of a social whirl, that they’re not enjoying anymore.
– shove the basics of self-care RIGHT TO THE TOP of your list. This includes eating properly, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and listening to your body. This also includes planning for this if daily life doesn’t lend itself to these basics.
– If you need quiet time, do everything in your power to get it. Even if this includes sending the kids/dog/partner to stay somewhere else overnight.
– Use your damn planner. For someone with a bullet journal, two Filofaxes, two paper diaries, a wall calendar and Google Calendar, I have been surprisingly good at forgetting appointments and important things recently. Looking this afternoon at my bujo which usually keeps me on track, I discovered I didn’t put November’s calendar & habit tracker in, and nor did I make my Life & Business Lists for November. Perhaps unsurprisingly, November is where it has all started to fall apart.
– Screen-free time. Many of us struggle with the darker, shorter days (at least in this hemisphere) at this time of year, especially after the clocks change. I’ve noticed a sudden tendency to sit on the sofa scrolling through Facebook or Instagram for alarmingly long periods without actually achieving anything. Far more so than in the lighter, brighter summer evenings. My attempt to fix this is drastic. No devices in the bedroom. I’m going to attempt to leave my work laptop at work. I hope this will awaken new creativity in me. Or at least allow me quality time with my journal, my beloved books and my planner!
Habits that slip
Nothing earth-shattering on there. It’s interesting that everything on that list is a habit I have had at one point or another. Habits which for whatever reason have slipped. Working on habits is probably a lifetime’s job. The payoff from the good ones, like ten minutes a day on planning the next one, and working out a routine so that sleep and food are plentiful and nourishing, are SO worth it.
Fingers crossed I’ll now approach Christmas, and both sides of the retail rush, in a calm, ordered and utterly unflappable manner…!
What do you do to get a grip on the world when you’re feeling rushed off your feet? Comment & let me know – I’d love to hear your thoughts!