It’s that time of the year…. Are holidays magic for introverts?

For most people, the winter holidays are a magic time. The sparkling lights everywhere, the
Christmas tree, all the gifts and the parties and everybody happier than ever.
Or it seems like we need to get in the vibe and be “jolly”.
But December and Christmas also come with a lot of stress.

1.You have to buy gifts for a million people.

I am exaggerating, of course, but …. Most probably you need to buy gifts for all your family, for some co-workers (if you are lucky, and there’s Secret Santa, maybe just one) and for your friends. And for your kid’s teachers. And for your kid’s friends. And the list can continue…. But you got my point.

2.You need to attend a lot of events, at work, at your kid’s school or kindergarten, and so on.

I might be a bit cynical, but … in most companies people barely interact outside work, but a Christmas party is a must and you cannot miss it. Everyone will be there!
Your kids’ parties are always fun … you just might make big efforts to rearrange the schedule to be there (during the working day).
There is a lot of socialising with the extended family and everybody is expecting you to come to dinner. Or to host a dinner….

3. All the shops, restaurants, malls, are super crowded. For obvious reasons…
And since you are here, I could bet you are an introvert.

And crowded places, big lines and noise …are not your favourite scene.

So, if it is not clear already why introverts might dread the holidays …. Here are some more possible reasons:

– You have to make a lot of small-talk-type conversations, face to face or by phone/email/chat
and update all the people that you didn’t talk in a year, about “what’s new with you”.

– You have to buy gifts and try to find out things about people that you maybe never
interacted with.
– All the pressure to be jolly, happy, say yes to everything.

This article is not supposed to bring you down. Or to get an early feel of January, when you are
exhausted, tired, and you just want peace and quiet.
It is meant to prepare you for this period and maybe give you some tools to handle all the stress and
anxiety that comes, beautifully wrapped, as your Christmas gift.

So, here are some tips to make all this “magic “ easier:

1. Plan ahead
We know Christmas is coming and we know what it brings (and if you didn’t, I think reading the first
part gave you a clue), so, how about you make a list of all the invitations, all the gifts you need to
buy and all the preparations you need to make.

This will maybe help you find solutions that you are comfortable with, for shopping, outfits, visits.
Before the Christmas spirit takes over your town, your department and your family, maybe you
decide which events you will attend and give you time to find a very good excuse for the others.
For the ones you feel obliged to attend, but they don’t bring you joy, an exit plan should be in place.

2. Shop smart
In order to avoid crowded places or to ruin your budget with all the offers you see in the shops, the
planning you made at the previous point might help you a lot.
Then, shopping online will save a lot of time and trips to the mall. Also, for the people you don’t
know enough about, find some cool vouchers, so they can choose what they like.
If you can, get help or team up with other people for the shopping. For example, instead of buying
10 gifts for your kid’s teachers, how about you propose to the other parents to raise money together
and buy the gifts from all of you. If you are lucky, you might just send the money, and another
enthusiastic mother will take care of all the shopping.
If you host a dinner, the planning we talked about will save your life again. Plan the menu, the
number of guests so you can avoid any last-minute shopping or change of menu.

3. You don’t have to accept all the invitations

If some social event makes you uncomfortable or it simply brings no joy, don’t make efforts to fit it
in your program. Already, if you think about it, you go out in December more than you do all year.

Choose the events that bring you value, joy or that you can absolutely not avoid. The rest… maybe
next year.

4. Plan time for yourself
Make sure, between all the things you have to do, to plan time to rewind, to recharge and to take
care of yourself.
Maybe, as a Christmas gift, you suggest to your loved ones that you would very much enjoy an hour
for yourself (so, if you are a parent, maybe a friend offering to babysit can guarantee the best gift), a
voucher for spa or massage.
Pay attention to your needs and make sure you don’t forget about them during this really busy time
of the year.

I think winter holidays are hard for everybody. It is very beautiful and truly magical, but it is a source
of stress as well. So, being aware of this and making sure we don’t forget to look at our feelings as
well might just help us find the perfect balance between what we have to do and what we want to
do.
Enjoy time spent with your family, doing the things you all love, enjoy offering gifts chosen with love
and find a way to give yourself the time to recharge.
And when you feel it is too much, just take a break. You deserve it!
Feel free to share with us any challenge you have around the holidays and what makes you happy in
this time of the year! Leave a comment below.
We are working on the last details for launching the group meetings in the community. So if you did
not join yet, you can do it here.
We will meet from time to time to talk about a specific subject that all of us will find useful.

It will be a safe environment, where you can express your fears, your challenges and your success.