Tis the Season to Minimize!

While many of us are minimalists, when the end-of-the-year holidays roll up, we are often in a struggle to maintain a simple, drama-free, affordable lifestyle. We easily get caught up in over-shopping, over-spending, over-gift giving, over-committing, over-decorating, over-eating, over indulging. Advertisers know to appeal to our sense of nostalgia, to our desire for the perfect gifts, the perfect table setting, the perfect meal, the perfect family photo in matching PJs. And, we buy into it; we actually, and perhaps unconsciously, BUY into their temptations.

In this blog, we’ll highlight Christmas, a holiday fraught with consumerism and immersed in perfectionism. In Masa Ofei’s article on a minimalist Christmas, the author explains, “A minimalist Christmas for us means skipping all the nightmares of going shopping, fighting over car parks in overcrowded shopping centres, stressing about what to buy for your second cousin and what on earth to make for Christmas lunch that will also please the [vegans as well as the] meat-eaters. Don’t get me wrong, we love to spend time with family over the holiday season, and it’s important to us. But we opt out of present giving and receiving. If we do participate, then we contribute to gifts that are either experienced-based or something that our family have requested to chip in for. That way they get what they want or experience something that they’ll remember for years to come. Christmas to us isn’t about contributing to the excessive consumerism at this time of year. It’s about spending time with the people that we love, relaxing and eating some great food” (https://theminimalistvegan.com/practice-minimalism-this-christmas/).

For me, a simplified Christmas means putting out only a few simple, meaningful decorations; it means buying or making modest gifts for only a few people. It means not over-scheduling and not over-indulging in food and drink. It means telling people I care about how happy I a, that they are in my life and specifically how they add value to me. It means creating space to introspect, to relax. I’m not a particularly nostalgic person; still, it’s easy to wax sentimental during the holidays. I feel that side of the holiday experience with watching old movies and looking at videos / photos stored on my computer. I enjoy cups of orange spiced tea that awaken the senses and soothes the soul.

What are some ways and reasons for embracing and enjoying a simpler, minimalistic holiday?

* Reduced or Zero waste

“We produce so much waste globally each year in just wrapping gifts in new wrapping paper that is literally used once and tossed in the bin in most cases. I have always reused wrapping paper if I can for re-wrapping gifts in to not waste it. If you’re someone that rips open presents and the paper is in shreds, then maybe not, but you can be a little more careful to preserve it and maybe even use it for home arts and crafts with the kids! There are plenty of ideas online to create a zero-waste, eco-friendly Christmas” (https://theminimalistvegan.com/practice-minimalism-this-christmas/).

[Here is a website with lots of ideas: https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/how-to-have-an-eco-friendly-and-zero-waste-christmas/]

*Start new traditions

“Starting a new family tradition can be exciting! Try out things and see how it all makes you feel. Christmas for many holds a very special place in their heart, so it’s important to keep that excitement and joy about the day alive but done in an eco-conscious way” (https://theminimalistvegan.com/practice-minimalism-this-christmas/).

1. Rather than buying extravagant gifts or cheap tchotchke for a long list of family, friends, business associates, consider pulling names to buy one person one thing. Set a price limit for the gift.

2. Have a cookie baking night together with family or friends and divide up the cookies for everyone to take some home. That fun evening is your gift to each other.

3. Rather than you spending all the money on a dinner party or family meal gathering, host a pot-luck gathering. Everyone loves to show off their favorite recipes.

4. Rather than buying a physical thing, consider donating to a bona fide charity as a gift ‘to someone else.’ If they are passionate about climate change or about supporting marine life, or taking care of rescued elephants, making available clean water, or funding research for reducing childhood diabetes - whatever they support, give to their favorite charity.

5. Give banned books to others to combat the “right wing” distain of education and books.

[I’m giving people a potential ‘banned’ book, The Handmaids Tale, as gifts this year. While this isn’t a sweet holiday story, it is a ‘don’t miss it’ and a cautionary tale everyone will benefit from reading.]

6. Give an experience such as a day at the local aquarium or to go candle-making or glass-blowing.

7. Make or bake something for others.

8. Give sustainable gifts.

9. Minimize decorations. My friend from Florida, Marlene, is embracing minimalism and has tackled minimizing her large collection of Christmas decorations and posts photos of her beautiful simplified decor that is still fun and festive. “Give up trying to outdo yourself or others with your tree and decorations. Your house will never look like Macy’s no matter what you do, so keep it simple with a few festive pieces. Better yet, make your decorations and save tons of money” (https://www.smartliving365.com/10-simple-ways-create-happy-minimalist-holiday/).

10.Make a promise to yourself and your family not to go into debt simply to buy gifts or spend on holiday-related events. If you don’t have the money in the bank to pay the credit card purchases off in full, you cannot afford it.

11. If you get holiday cards from others, be sure to recycle them when you are finished enjoying them, or, if the picture on the card is particularly interesting, keep it and frame it.

12. Write notes to people who are special to you and tell them how happy you are to have them in your life.

13. Share with friends and family you are making some changes and one of them is you are doing some minimizing. Then, suggest you all not exchange expensive physical gifts. Brainstorm together on how to celebrate another way: meet for a pot-luck meal or to play games or to make cookies together.

14. Gather friends and family together to have a sing-along to your favorite holiday songs. You may discover there is a budding Beyonce or a Michael Buble’ in your circle!

*Find free events to attend during the holidays

1. Lots of musical events are offered for free at churches and community centers.

2. The public library often hosts events to meet Santa, story time, or to create a handmade ornament for children.

3. Gather friends or family for a car caravan to see the holiday light displays in neighborhoods and then meet back at someone’s house for hot cocoa and cookies.

4. Some public parks have lighting extravaganzas that are free to walk through.

5. Holiday parades.

* “Comparison is the thief of joy” (Theodore Roosevelt)

Stop comparing your gift-giving, your decorations, your holiday even going to anyone else. Holiday specials, such as on the Hallmark Channel can ramp up disappointment because they portray ‘perfect’ holidays; remember that those shows are only fiction.

* Do for others

1. Work in a food bank.

2. Buy something for a child selected from a local giving tree.

3. Make some coupons to give to others for a free lawn mow to an elderly neighbor or a night of babysitting for a friend, for example.

4. Offer to give a caregiver a rest by taking their place for a few hours.

What are some of the ways you will minimize the holidays this year to spend less, to cut down on your stress, and to keep from having too much stuff? Please share your thoughts, insights, and tips on curtailing the holidays by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at reimaginelife22@gmail.com your answers to these questions.

Thank you for reading and participating in this blog essay; I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.reimaginelifecoach.com.