Tips on Dealing with Holiday Season Obsession

 By Jessica Bartlett

It's that time of the year again! The holiday season is approaching and, for you, there’s nothing better than fully embracing its festive spirit. But does your family feel the same way, or is your obsession with the holidays starting to drive them crazy?

If you think your excessive holiday spirit may be bringing everybody else down, you are not alone. But, luckily, there are ways to control this. Here are 4 valuable tips to help curb your holiday cheer, thus giving your relatives a gift they really want.

1. Say goodbye to Black Friday and hello to Cyber Monday

For many, holiday obsession begins on Thanksgiving day after everyone has eaten. Your family is lounging on the sofa, full from dinner and enjoying some relaxation together. Only, you’re nowhere to be found. That’s because you’re tucked away by yourself somewhere, quietly contemplating your shopping itinerary for Black Friday, which kicks off at 10pm when the first door-buster deals “go live.”

Next November, fight the urge to race to the mall. Instead, do your shopping online on Cyber Monday. You can find everything you need and easily compare prices from the comfort of your own home, giving you more time to spend with your family. And that’s what the holidays are all about, right?

2. Go easy on the holiday music

There's nothing wrong with being festive, but you can always have too much of a good thing. And holiday music is no exception.

Try not to bust out the holiday-themed tunes until at least a week after Thanksgiving. And, this can’t be stressed enough, keep a wide variety of albums rotating in your playlist. Your family will develop a greater appreciation for Tony Bennett's Christmas Album when it’s not playing 24/7.

3. Keep holiday greeting cards simple and sincere

Ah, there is nothing sweeter than a well-designed, personal greeting card. But there’s a fine line between snapping a pleasant photo and hiring a professional photographer, caking your house in fake snow, and stifling everyone, even the dog, under horrendous sweaters. A fine line, indeed!

The best holiday greeting card will convey your family's unique charm, not an unrealistic idea of what a family should be. Try aiming for something fun, not fake. This is a time for family bonding, not running a professional studio. Your family wants enjoy spending time with you; and they can’t do that when they’re worried about “hitting their mark.”

4. Don't go overboard with decorations

It's the weekend after Thanksgiving. So what does that mean? Yep, it’s time for the decorations to go up. And there’s no way your neighbor’s house is going to look more festive than yours, right? So you string up lights along the house, fence, and every tree in the yard. Then, you pick up one of those plastic, glowing Santa-and-Reindeer sets for the roof, which takes, by the way, about four hours to set up.

But what is your family doing during this time? Probably waiting for you to finish so they can spend some quality time. Instead of putting up a bunch of garish decorations by yourself, include your loved ones and together you can craft fun ornaments of your own. This allows you all to enjoy one another’s company while also creating a classy, attractive holiday appearance for the house.