With the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday coming up next week, the festive season will soon be in full swing. For many people, stress and the holidays go hand in hand, but it doesn’t have to be that way. For the next few weeks, I’ll continue the “No”vember thread I introduced last week with ways to reduce stress and focus on what matters this holiday season. Today, we’ll kick things off with a different kind of holiday list, the Don’t Want List.

The Holiday List

“What do you want for Christmas?” It’s a common question this time of year and one I never have an answer to. Gift giving is part of the holiday season but, as I focus on decluttering and simplifying life, there is little I want or need. It’s a cliché, but the things I want for Christmas these days are things money can’t buy. On the other hand, my “Don’t Want List” is constantly growing.

Reducing holiday stress starts with looking inward and spending time thinking about what you want the season to look like. In the spirit of “No”vember, that might include removing some items from your to do list. (For ideas on holiday related tasks you can eliminate, see my post Reduce Stress by Rethinking Your Holiday To Do List from last year.)

Once you have your clear vision, talk to your loved ones, and set expectations—before the holidays get into full swing.

My Don’t Want List

A Don’t Want List is a list of things you want to eliminate from your holidays. Simply put, these are tasks and items that create stress without adding value. With that in mind, here are five things on my Don’t Want List for the coming holiday season. I hope they’ll inspire you to create a similar list for yourself.

Unwanted Gifts

Gift giving can be an excellent way to show your love and appreciation, but an unwanted gift can have the opposite effect. Instead of stressing to find the “perfect” gift for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list, ask them what they want or need. If they tell you they don’t need anything, respect their wishes, and instead plan to spend time together doing something fun.

Excessive Waste

From food waste to excessive product packaging and gift wrap, the holidays are synonymous with waste.

When planning your holiday menu, make a strategy to use up any leftovers so they don’t go to waste. And look for sustainable and reusable gift wrap to reduce the environmental impact of your gift giving.

Family Drama

There’s just something about extended family gatherings at Christmas time that ramps up the drama. One of the many classic lines in the movie Christmas Vacation is when Ellen Griswold tells her daughter Audrey, “I don’t know what to say, except it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.”

If there are family members who you know will create drama, find ways to limit your interactions with them. If that’s not possible, plan ahead to consider how you’ll deal with them.

The Holiday Hangover

There are so many yummy treats to enjoy at this time of year. It’s so difficult to resist the sweets, the delicious holiday meals, and the rum-spiked egg nog or New Year’s Eve champagne toast.

Waking up with a headache from too much alcohol, or starting the new year working off extra holiday pounds, is no fun. But we all need a little treat from time to time. To reduce the January holiday hangover, stock up on alcohol-free beverages. And keep up with your workouts during the holidays.

Overscheduling

For years, we filled our December calendar with gathering after gathering. One of the nice things about the pandemic years was slowing down and enjoying quiet time at home with our family of four. Yet most of us raced back to overscheduling as soon as the pandemic was over.  

This year, schedule time for self care and quiet time at home doing things that make you happy into your holiday season calendar.

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A Don’t Want List is no guarantee of a stress-free holiday, but taking the time to make the list will result in a more intentional festive season.  

What will you put on your Don’t Want List this holiday season? Drop me a comment below with your thoughts.

Learn more about me in my bio and on my personal blog at BoomerEcoCrusader.com. You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.