Slowing The Season Down

Loughc

This is the most common complain myself and many have once we get into season or even into September, time goes wayyyy to quickly.

Every year I swear I'll glide into Christmas gracefully and every single year I crash into Christmas at break neck speed hanging on by a thread. It has to change I can't keep going like this I'm missing the best part of Christmas some years, the build up, the anticipation. So I come to you my fellow elves for help.... how do we slow down time from Sept 1st to Dec 23rd.....

DvB

If you're anything like me work takes over and squeezes the time more than anything else. If I could take a step back then there's a chance I'd have the opportunity to take in the build up more, as it stands year on year it seems to be getting more stressful and time consuming though.

Keep meaning to try harder and maybe this year I can make it happen.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599162#Comment_121599162

I'm committing this year to breaking the cycle. Work is busy but my busiest times in work are Jan-Feb and Jul-Aug. So work for me isn't the sole reason, I don't know if it's I'm just under prepared, or do too many events, I feel like the run up to Christmas is usually jammed packed with night outs, shows, etc. I do think that contributes to the clock running down.

BK5

Work for Tayto so the months leading to Christmas are always going to be crazy busy but two new people started in our dept last week so hopefully they work out and stay. I've done way too many Saturdays the last few years and these new recruits should help.

The kids are grown up, don't have any major bills over my head so I should really enjoy and appreciate the downhill run to Christmas a lot more.

As for working too hard and too many hours, as Murtagh says "I'm too old for this sh*t" :)

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599270#Comment_121599270

That sounds like the good side of being busy... beats 60 hour work weeks and burn out.

To be fair I'm finding all time is going quickly and not just the Christmas build up, so suspect time will just continue to go quickly, I just need to work at making better use of what's available really.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599326#Comment_121599326

Yeah I'm not sure if it was the birth of elf 2 or me turning 40 but I really want to slow time down. But the build up lately has been wayyy too stressful, need to find the happy medium, Jan-Jul not a bother with these months, I find they pass at a leisurely pace it's just the rest of the year.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599364#Comment_121599364

If you find the secret drop me a PM 😉

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599382#Comment_121599382

I won't need to we will crack it here together all of us haha.

I've started using the journal app on iPhone, I find it a great way to track memories. Hopefully it's stored for years to come would be great to look back on things.

Leg End Reject

I think everyone is guilty of trying to make it perfect rather than actually living in the moment and enjoying it.

Trying to find the perfect gift for x number of people could be solved by adults agreeing on one Kris Kringle for everyone, or just buying for children.

The house doesn't have to be perfect, it should just be comfortable.

Prep as much of the dinner as you can in advance, freeze stuffing etc. If you've a large number get everyone to bring something.

And prioritise your own time, you don't have to attend every social function or bring the kids to every panto, experience, day trip etc.

It doesn't help that Christmas is at the darkest time of the year when we're all at our lowest energy levels, we should make time to relax.

Leg End Reject

Another thing, I think social media has added a lot of pressure.

Everyone posting posed pictures of happy family days out, matching pjs, impressive trees and light displays, what the elf on the shelf got up to, what Santa brought etc.

They never post the pics of themselves frazzled and pulling their hair out, arguing with their partner, the queues, kids having tantrums etc.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599313#Comment_121599313

Was it the shop's fault for under ordering or was there a shortage of boxes this year? I tried supermarkets in several counties in the week before Christmas and not a box to be found!

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600049#Comment_121600049

Do you mean the Party box size? The Christmas box that had 18 packs in it?

They made the most ever of those last year, well over a million. They must have flew off the shelves if they were hard to get so. Sorry if you had hassle.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599422#Comment_121599422

Funnily enough we start our planning in September most years & I actually enjoy that side of it, I love getting a few bits here & there & rarely am under any real pressure on that score so I cant use that as an excuse, I actually squeeze every last drop out of the holidays themselves too & generally really enjoy them so that's another positive.

I think I've identified my issue and its simply work, so all I need now is a rich Nigerian prince to deposit a few million in my account to allow me retire & I'm sorted!!

dubstepper

One other element is how many things you pack into the run up. If you have a lot of social activities I find it goes in quickly. I try to leave at least one weekend in december run in to just chill out and watch a few movies in the evening. Really helps me to soak it up

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600224#Comment_121600224

Yes I think this is my biggest problem, to be honest I think I'll be knocking the Christmas party on the head this year. Just not my thing any more. Would rather veg out at home takeaway and Christmas movie.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600049#Comment_121600049

There was a shortage of tubs of sweets in late Dec too, but that's on me, they were in the shops since September and the ones I did buy early didn't survive to see Christmas week.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600224#Comment_121600224

Funnily enough this year we had very little on socially in the run up, all that did was make me feel like we had 'missed out' or suchlike.

Time still flew by though.

pigtail33

I just don't think it's possible to try and make the season slow down. For me, most of my fondest memories of Christmas are as a child and once school finished, I literally had nothing to do but eat, sleep, watch TV and play. There was no life admin stuff like shopping, cooking, cleaning etc to break the Christmas feeling. I think the closest we would have go to it was the pandemic years, and I don't think anyone wants to go back there! Life as an adult is always going to be busy. I insist on cooking/baking everything from scratch, so I tend to spend a lot of the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th in the kitchen. I'm not one for sitting around doing nothing, so I'm not sure what I would do if I wasn't feeding everyone for three days, so I've decided to embrace it and hope that I am giving my nieces and nephew some good memories and traditions that they will think back of fondly in years to come and recreate them for their families.

I wasn't well at the beginning of December, so I had no nights out at all in the run up to Christmas and I felt like I missed out this year and that dampened my Christmas spirit. I think it's trying to get the balance right of nights/days out to soak up the atmosphere, and spending afternoons/evenings at home enjoying the glow from the Christmas lights, eating and drinking whatever you fancy, and just taking time out to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600049#Comment_121600049

I've always found the boxes are sold out well before Christmas, they're snapped up once the offers are available.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600897#Comment_121600897

Superb post.

I actually think that the fact the time is going quickly is a sign that its all good, and ultimately the fact I'm still looking forward to each years build up & enjoy the Christmas holidays is the ultimate result. Adult life will never slow down in reality.

When you hear of bad things happening to people & Christmas becoming less important it makes me realise how lucky we have been that we've been in a position to enjoy so many great Christmas's & not to take the good times for granted. So rather than rock the boat I'd be happy for many more to go the way the previous ones have!

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600720#Comment_121600720

It's a double edged sword....stay at home and do nothing and you get bored and feel like your missing out. Organise a load or nights and you feel you haven't given yourself time to relax.

Posy

I had a couple of days off last November, a week off in December and a day off mid-Christmas week. I felt it really slowed things down for me, esp. the week off. Going back to work in mid-Dec after it felt like going back after the Christmas holidays, so it was hard to believe there were still 2 weeks to go! I felt that really stretched the time for me, it was like having 2 Christmas breaks!

A cup of te

Good posts there about trying to slow it down. The closest i came to that as an adult was when I had a lovely easy going stress free job (but the deal was it paid around minimum which brings other probs). I was time rich and money poor, now I'm a little bit money richer but zero time. It's a catch 22 isn't it. I yearn to sometime get back to that happy balance because at the end of the day the whole point of life should be being able to experience everything fully and be in the moment. People didn't expect big gifts off me either when I was totally broke. Never stop trying to get back to that happy balance :) sometimes just daydreaming about Christmas makes me feel happier though. Luckily I still associate Christmas with good times.

And I suppose try and remember that all anyone should really want and what kids remember too is you giving your time. The lovely home cooked food and home-baked stuff, the time sitting down watching a silly film, and board games or quizzes or a family walk etc. They're the best bits.