Thriving in the Holiday Hustle: Advice for Creative Professionals
The holidays are here.
Yay!
….Yay?
Did you jump for joy or did you cringe a little inside?
The end of the year is a veritable stress-educing minefield.
Candy canes, office parties, deadlines, more parties, and fights with the ones you love most.
The holidays bring moments of joy you’ll treasure forever. They also bring anxiety, stress, and burnout.
We can fall victim to going overboard, running ourselves ragged.
So, how do we fend off possible burnout and enjoy the festivities?
We’re creatives. And as creatives, we have the upper hand. We can use our creativity superpowers to make the season a little less stressful.
Here are 5 go-to solutions that have worked for me over the years.
1. Don’t say “Yes” to everything.
I know. I know.
You love your friends and family.
You want to do whatever you can to help make their experiences magical.
But that doesn’t mean you need to go to every party, get-together, and shindig if it’s going to drive you bonkers.
It’s okay to say “No” to the things you feel may stretch you too thin.
You don’t need to go to the fifth family party in two weeks to ensure everyone knows you’re still alive.
Staying in control of what you say “Yes” to and what you say “No” to will help clear the chaos. Let it float right by as you wave to it with a smile.
2. Make things for people
You’re a creative person.
Whether it’s writing, or drawing, or building, or cooking, I bet there’s something you could do to make someone’s day brighter.
I’ve found that the people in my life appreciate a thoughtfully made gift.
And besides, it's better than the random knick-knack I picked up last minute off a random shelf at Target for sure. (Also, I never do that 😉)
3. Share knowledge
If you’d instead choose not to make gifts yourself, I’ve found the next best gift to share is the gift of a good book.
Of course, the book has to fit the person, but it’s one of the simplest ways to say either “I get you” or “I think you might like this.”
Often, I’ll read a bunch of books throughout the year and then buy the best one for each person in my life.
The majority of books I consume relate to personal development. So I try to match something that might help the recipient with a problem in their life.
Again, it’s about helping the ones you love thrive. Other times, I’ll gift a fun book that expands their ideas on a favorite hobby.
4. Recharge
Don’t over-extend yourself with events and gift obligations.
Instead, give yourself the gift of adequate space to relax.
Every year for the past six or seven, I’ve taken off at least two weeks at the end of the year to do whatever.
People ask me, “Hey, Mike, going on vacation? Somewhere warm?” I reply, “Nope. Just having a nice stay-cation.”
I catch up on reading and video games, spend time with my wife, and just live life as stress-free as possible.
I don’t always need immediate time off, but I find that the two-week period gives me a chance to reset. A kind of baseline version of myself reemerges. I begin to reflect on my past year and the future to come.
That leads me to the last item on my list.
5. Review the year
If you have some downtime to yourself, take advantage of it.
Say you're hanging out on an off day watching TV after the gifts have been unwrapped and everyone is at peace.
Take a few minutes and jot down what went well this year, what didn’t go so well, and what you’d like to do over the next 12 months.
Start simple and consider the major categories of your life.
Many people believe the following to be amongst the most important in theirs, but feel free to adjust what works best for you:
Health
Work
Creativity/Play
Family/Friends
Finances
Spirituality
You’ll likely discover some exciting takeaways to help shape your decisions into the new year.
Final Thoughts
The end of the year can be extra stressful for creatives.
We’ve all been there. But take a moment to think about how you can be more deliberate with your time, what you say "Yes/No" to, and give yourself space to relax.
This could be one of the best holiday seasons of your life.
You don’t need to break yourself from the expectations of others. Instead, do your best to be your best for you, and the people in your life will thrive alongside you.
Good luck and Happy Holidays to you and yours.
And don’t worry, I’ll bring the pie. 🥧
TL; DR
The end of the year is a stress minefield
Don’t say “Yes” to everything
Make things for people
Share knowledge
Recharge
Review the year
Quote of the Week
Motivation for the days ahead of you.
“This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays!”
— David Dellinger
Thank you for reading! I’m grateful you’re part of this community and that you’ve taken time out of your busy schedule to read this week’s newsletter. 🙏
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
For more nerdy insights on personal development and creative life, follow me on LinkedIn.
