Happy Holidays! Self-care Tips for the Festive Season

Self-care Tips for the Festive Season

(The following is the text of our holiday video/podcast message.)

Ed: Hi, Clutter Fairy fans! This is a special edition of The Clutter Fairy Weekly for December 24, 2024. I’m your co-host, Ed Gumnick, and I’m speaking with Gayle Goddard, certified professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas.

Gayle: Hi everybody!

By the time we post this video, I’ll be in North Carolina. I’m very excited to take a break and spend this special time of year with my family. I hope all of you are enjoying a break from your routines as well.

In the midst of all our busy-ness, especially at this most activity-packed time of year, it’s easy to forget that the point of all the decluttering and organizing work we do together is to give you the space and freedom to enjoy your precious life. During the holidays, you want to spend time with friends and family, to share meals and do things together. The purpose of organizing is to help you feel more prepared to spend times like these with your loved ones, enjoying their company in a safe, comfortable, welcoming environment where you can focus on people instead of stuff, and love instead of guilt, shame, or overwhelm.

Our hope for all of our viewers and listeners is that this holiday season is a time when you can catch your breath, renew your energy and spirit, and enjoy the love and warmth of your family and friends. In the midst of all the gift-giving, family fun, and merry-making, The Clutter Fairy’s special holiday wish for you is that you’ll set aside a moment or two just for yourself. Take time for some self-care, and it will leave you in better health, better spirits, and more ready and able to give of yourself to the people you love.

In support of that wish, we’d like to offer a few tips for your holiday self-care:

[Ed and Gayle alternate reading tips.]

• First, if you’re still going a hundred miles an hour: Stop! You’ve probably done enough, and even if you haven’t, it’s just as important to save enough of your own energy to enjoy what’s left of the season.
• Don’t be afraid to say a polite “no” to obligations, invitations, or requests for your time that don’t fit within the season that you’ve planned for yourself.
• If you’ve run out of time—or don’t have the resources—to do any more gift-shopping, consider giving anyone left on your list the gift of your time, your ear, your kind heart, and your undivided attention.
• Ask for what you want—especially if you’re someone who carries a lot of responsibility for other people the rest of the year—and let other people take care of you once in a while.
• Savor a favorite tradition, or try something entirely novel—experiment with a new recipe, learn a song, or play around with an unfamiliar craft.
• Take time to enjoy the lights, colors, sounds, smells, and tastes of the season. Don’t let chaos distract you from all the good things. Make a few time-outs happen. Turn off the TV, the computer, step away from the mobile phone, and focus only on being happy in the moment.
• Be open to serendipity and happy surprises. We often try to plan everything, but reality almost never turns out exactly to plan. Be receptive to changes of plans and unexpected experiences. They might turn out to be a delightful treat for your family!
• Create space for peace and quiet in your life. Set aside time to rest, focus, and pay attention to the meaning that this season holds for you. Listen to your own heart, and be open to the acceptance and wisdom you find there.

Gayle: We want to thank all of our Clutter Fairy clients, our patrons, our friends, family, followers, listeners, and viewers for your kind and generous support of our efforts at The Clutter Fairy. We appreciate the opportunity to do this work and the chance to make a difference in people’s lives, both here in Houston and around the world. It’s always a delight to hear from people in faraway places who have made us part of the “soundtrack” to their decluttering journeys!

Finally, we want to wish all of you a very joyous and peaceful holiday season. We hope that your homes may be filled with love and light. And in the words of one of our viewers, may you always know that you are enough!

From the Clutter Fairy family to you and yours, [Gayle and Ed together:] happy holidays!