Newswise — If you didn't wrap up all your usual holiday must-dos, give yourself a gift as the season draws to a close.
Lose the guilt about what you didn't do, says Joan Lang, M.D., chair of the department of psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and a SLUCare psychiatrist. Instead, look at a missed holiday opportunity back in December as a new tradition you can start in January.
"Don't toss out your plans with the old wrapping paper. They may be source of wonderful ideas that you can do when you're not under such a time deadline," Lang says.
"Reframe your view of what you should have accomplished during the holidays. Think of yourself as having more creativity than time."
Even if you didn't plan to do it, Lang suggests tabling a few holiday traditions to bring a little sparkle to the bleak winter doldrums.
"Take some of those traditions and stash them for a snowy day. If you look at what makes the holidays magical, part of it is to do something special for someone special in your life," Lang says.
"So, if you give a gift after the holidays instead of during the peak of the festivities, it will go from being one of many presents to being something unexpected and special. It doesn't have to all happen in one dramatic swoop."
Here are some of Dr. Lang's favorite ways to convert holiday traditions into winter perk-ups:
Didn't get around to mailing holiday cards? Send Valentines or Happy Spring cards or thinking-of-you greetings instead. "They serve the same purpose of keeping in contact with people and probably will be a pick-me-up at an unexpected moment," she says.
Intended to write a check to charity? There's never a bad time to help those in need. "People are needy all year long. You can make your donation anytime and feel really good about helping someone out," Lang says.
Did you burn out before you started your customary holiday baking? Organize a Saturday afternoon cookie baking party with your children and their friends. Those treats " and the time you take to prepare them " will be extra welcome because the cookie jar likely is empty after the month-long sugar buzz of the holidays.
Did you find the perfect pattern to knit a scarf for your old college roommate, but only got halfway? Now you can finish it in a way that's more leisurely and fun. "And once you finish it, you don't have to save it until next Christmas. Let it be an inspiration for a random act of giving. Your friend will enjoy it all the more because other gifts aren't competing for attention," Lang says.
Postponing a few holiday traditions until after the holidays is a gift to yourself and a gift to others, she adds.
"You de-stress the holidays by not feeling obligated that you have to do everything on the list when you're running short of time. You also extend the glow of the season by making special things happen at a "blah humbug," bleak time of year. You reduce the stress, reuse the ideas and recycle the spirit of giving."
Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first M.D. degree west of the Mississippi River. Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a pioneer in geriatric medicine, organ transplantation, chronic disease prevention, cardiovascular disease, neurosciences and vaccine research, among others. The School of Medicine trains physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health services on a local, national and international level.
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