Hey, how are you going?

It’s the countdown to the end of the year; Christmas is so close you can smell the delicious baked goods, the frantic search for New Year’s plans is upon us, the craziness of the shops is evident, the Christmas tunes and decorations are on steroids.

I don’t know about you, but I find there’s generally a lot of pressure getting the last ‘to do’ list items ticked off, attending a bunch of Christmas parties, running around like a crazy person shopping and socialising, and hoping to do enough to feel a sense of accomplishment with life as that clock counts down and the fireworks begin.

It’s freaking mental.

 

Go with the flow

This year, I’m checking out early.

I’ve switched off. I’m in holiday mode. I’m not planning on racing to get anything finished before the new year. I’m not about to internally combust leading up to the final minutes of 2013.

I’m giving myself permission to chill.

After making a big decision recently, the accompanying exhaustion has hit me with full force. It’s end of year fatigue mixed with a butt-load of change, a cup of ego-driven freak out, a pinch of WTF am I doing with my life, and a hefty dose of ‘I need a nap’.

I know I’m not alone here, am I? You know what I’m talking about.

We’re all going through different things, facing our own pre-holiday stresses, but there’s definitely something about this time of the year that makes us all kinda cuckoo.

 

Slow down

Sydney driving is bad at the best of times, but I’ve noticed in the past week or so that it’s totally out of control. People are driving like maniacs (more than usual), speeding, and cutting corners – it’s nothing short of nightmarish. This feels like the perfect analogy for the end of year stress.

I just want to wind down the window and yell, ‘chill out!’ to those racing by.

Nothing at this time of the year is more important than the rest of the year. In fact, it feels like this is when we should all be stepping back and chilling the heck out. Having summer siestas, spontaneous dance parties, and spiking all the drinks.

But we’re not. We’re running around, stressing about parking spots and ticking off our yearly goals. Is the stress really necessary? Or is it a ruse of the media and the retail world to drive us into a manic frazzle frenzy?

 

Focus on the fun

It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, this time of year is wonderful. It’s good food, friends, family, drinks, parties – the lot. In Australia, it’s the laid back awesomeness of summer. Long days, the beach, chilling with friends, but sometimes we get so caught up in stress and expectations that it becomes way too hard.

So, come on, I dare you. In fact, I demand it.

Appreciate the holidays for what they are and get your fun on!

Instead of getting stressed, take as much off your list as you can. Make fun your priority. Accept that your family is likely to drive you nuts and laugh it off. Say no, if you need to for your mental health. This chilling thing is the way to go and it’s infinitely more enjoyable if you relax and just give yourself permission.

 

What’s stressing you and, more importantly, what can you do RIGHT NOW to lower your stress levels over the next couple of weeks? Leave me a comment below with  and let’s cruise on out, baby.

 

[ninja-inline id=717]

Image source