Chill Out! Keep It Simple!

Wrapping paper? Check. Tape and scissors? Check and check. Christmas tunes? Double check! Now, what am I forgetting? Oh no! I haven’t bought the gifts yet! 

If you’re like me, this time of year may have you scrambling to try to finish everything.  After all, there’s so much to get done! Purchase and prepare gifts- how many gift exchanges did I sign up for? Whose birthday, is it? Bake Christmas treats- do I have enough flour for that? I thought I just bought butter; where’d it all go? And let’s not forget the poor students who are struggling with the stress of final exams right about now. Why am I feeling so hectic? After all, this is supposed to be a time of “peace on earth”, isn’t it?

Although, when I stop to think about it, all my little “stresses” really go to show me how blessed I truly am. I’m surrounded by wonderful friends and family, and I get to express my care for them through the gifts I give. (So many!) 

We have plenty to eat, and we can even afford to create extra treats. We’re all healthy, happy, and safe. And, of course, let’s not forget the real reason of Christmas, the greatest gift any of us has ever been given. 

So, when I stop to take a look around at all my many blessings, my stress melts away, just like this morning’s light snowfall. (Too bad it couldn’t last- the snow, that is.) 

Still, it can be hard to remember to take that break to count my blessings when my mountain of snow- er, tasks threaten to overwhelm me. Fortunately, one of our favorite acronyms can help you get in the spirit of the holidays instead of feeling holi-“dazed”.

One of Perka’s favorite mottos is “K.I.S.S.” (No, there’s no mistletoe here.) 

We like to remind ourselves to “Keep It Simple and Stress-free”! Of course, that advice is a lot easier said than done. So, how do we keep it simple and stress-free this winter? 

Well, to begin with, we take a deep breath. You can do this too! If you feel like you don’t have time to take a deep breath, as silly as it sounds, I understand. Push through the project you’re working on, and then give yourself room to breathe. 

When I’m trying to keep it simple and stress-free, I start to see why Santa keeps a naughty and nice list; lists are super helpful to remind us of our goals and to keep us on track! I like to organize mine in order of project size OR in order of importance (i.e. what needs to be finished first). Plus, you’ll be able to check a project off your to-do list right away; you wrote the list! Check!

One of the things that really helps me “chill out” is when I finish a project and am able to spend time with my loved ones. It’s a double stress-reliever! From all of us at Perka, we hope you are filled with peace, relief, joy, and togetherness this holiday season. To find out more about us and how we can help relieve stress in any upcoming projects you have, contact us or check out our website. We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy, simple, and stress-free New Year!