“Simply Count Your Blessings This Season
No need to spend more or do more this holiday season”
– Mercy
The above photo was taken on the Oregon coast earlier this summer. I was traveling for work and we had an unexpected free morning, so my coworkers and I took a drive to see the ocean. There’s something about water that’s so peaceful. Just like there’s something so . . . not peaceful about the holidays.
I’ve been doing fairly well this year remembering to be content; to recognize when there’s too much hay on my fork. To take my comp days when I’ve been traveling for work and not home much, and to enjoy those days instead of frantically cleaning the house. But then . . .
I find myself pinning recipes, gift ideas, holiday decor techniques, getting emails about this or that sale, fielding invitations to all sorts of Christmas pageants and parties and donation letters. Ugh. In order to not go crazy, I find it’s important to count my blessings.
That’s why I’m excited to participate in a campaign by Mercy to remind everyone to count our blessings this season. Mercy is a health care system in the Midwest, and I’ve shared before about how damaging stress can be to your health. They have a website where you can list your blessings and share them with others. How cool is that?
In the spirit of the campaign, here are some of my favorite ways to decrease stress over the holidays:
- Gift cards are perfectly acceptable presents. For reals, especially if your family isn’t really into material things anyway.
- It’s OK to say no to events even if you don’t have anything else going on. This is a tough one for me, because between me and DH there are SO many parties. Work parties, beer club parties, church parties, running club parties . . . but I know that if I don’t have at least one evening a week to do absolutely nothing I will go absolutely bonkers.
- Pick one “dish to pass” for the season and stick to it. Preferably one that’s make-ahead. One year I made homemade fromage blanc and brought that and crackers everywhere. Another year DH was the designated homebrew-bringer. We also had the year of the slow cooker mac & cheese.
- It’s OK to say “next year.” And then don’t do it next year. For example, I’ve been meaning to do a Christmas cookie exchange for nearly a decade.
- Count your blessings. Yes I know I already said that one, but I really mean it! Think about those who have gone before us. Recognize that if we spend time with our friends and family, that is the best gift of all.
How do you remember what’s important this holiday season?
Mercy recognizes the stress we put on ourselves and our families over the holidays. They want to remind us that ‘Our greatest blessing is to see others blessed.’ One way we can do this is to pause, list our blessings, and share them with others. Let’s count our blessings together at www.ourblessingscount.com.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mercy. The opinions and text are all mine.
This post shared at Frugal Friday
