It’s the most wonderful time of year and it can be one of the most stressful times of year. But it doesn’t have to be, one way to avoid feeling overwhelmed during the holiday season is to build in margin to your schedule.
Margin is building boundaries in our life – it’s been defined as the space between our load and limits. Without it, we get burnt out, stressed and overwhelmed.
Margin is something you need to put on your daily calendar and protect it.
We typically feel rushed not because some activities take a long time, it’s usually because of the time we choose to do those activities. For instance, if you plan on giving a present to someone tomorrow – wrap the gift tonight before going to bed, rather than 10 minutes before you go out the door.
Be protective of not only how much time you spend doing things, but when you are doing things. If you do this and build in downtime, you’ll feel much less overwhelmed this Christmas season.
**Eric has his Masters in Counseling and when not on B105.7 works as a private practice counselor.**
Photo Credit: Getty Images/AaronAmat
