It’s that time of year when you are meant to be joyous, unwinding with family and grateful for all you have.   Instead you are exhausted, frustrated with finding gifts, tired of standing in line and impatient for the joyous celebrations to begin. Perhaps you’ve lost some of that holiday cheer.

You are not alone. With some proactive steps to take control of your choices, you can bring back the holiday spirit and really enjoy this time of year. 

You are in a state of constant stress.  On top of dealing with everyday routines, which can be stressful enough, you are running straight from work to the mall, planning a dinner party, spending hours baking treats, gift shopping, packing for the family trip, the list goes on and on.

At this time of year, most people find themselves digging deep for that extra energy and burning the candle at both ends.

On top of busy, modern life stresses and the additional pressures of the holiday, add in constant media bombardment.  Generally, the media is filled with plenty of bad news as well as constantly pushing consumerism.  It can be hard not to feel overwhelmed.

In case you haven’t realized how media perpetuates the idea of a consumption frame of mind, check this out:

It is not just the media that is pushing us to buy more, it is hard not to look around and see your neighbours, friends and family also caught up in the “spirit” of buying.

There is nothing wrong with buying some gifts but if we look at trends over the last decade, people are buying more items and spending a lot more money.  The National Retail Federation (NRF) has a report that clearly shows dramatic increases across the right across the board.

Does buying more, and getting more, increase long term happiness?

We don’t think so and neither does the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA’s research “indicates that materialistic aspirations are negatively associated with happiness and psychological health”.

Speaking of happiness and psychological health, the media also plays a factor in our outlook.  We are over-consuming negative news, information that adds greater weight on our shoulders and general overwhelm.  

With the invention of 24 hour news and constant access, the media is desperate to keep content coming and people engaged, which translates to sensationalism, spearheaded with negativity. People are often unaware of how their perspective is changed by their habits of consumption and their environment.

It’s happened to me – as a history and political science buff, at times, I have been caught up in reading every Op-Ed piece and the most current report on the latest political crisis.  After being consumed with this type of information for days on end, I find myself more irritable, less optimistic and less productive in my own life.

You are what you eat and in more general terms, you are what you consume.  If you are consuming too much of a negative quality without a balance of positivity, it’s going to have a detrimental net result.

Just like you detoxify the toxins that you are exposed to, there is great value in detoxing from the negativity in media and consumption.

Here’s how you can do a MEDIA DETOX:

Toxin #1: Pressure to consume

Media Detox: Embrace experiences over materialism – use the holiday season to create family traditions that involve things like cooking together, activities in the outdoors or playing games together.

For example:

• collectively make a family favourite treat or try one of ours
• enjoy outdoor activities such as cross-country skiing, hiking, tobogganing or spending time at the ocean
• playing games together like UNO, Charades, Crokinole, Pictionary, Risk, etc…

Remember if you role model the joy in these experiences the holiday spirit will be tied to quality time not dollar amounts and number of presents.

Toxin #2: The imbalance of the quantity and the negativity of news

Media Detox: Switch the channel or turn it off – favour being present, creativity and over positive experience over passive consumption.

For example:

• put your device down and spend some quality at the table, in conversation and notice where you are and who you are with
• cook your own treats, make your own decorations, personalize your cards, play some music or dance in the kitchen
• plan a fun outing, there is lots of free fun stuff going on in your community this time of year

Toxin #3: The endless sale – From Black Friday to Cyber Monday to Boxing day to inventory blowouts, there is a constant sale luring and temptation for you to buy things that you don’t need just because you think you are getting a deal and everyone else is too.

Media Detox: “Know thy self” – focus on quality rather than quantity while spending some time giving and being grateful.

For example:

• the price tag is not reflective of the value; a greatly desired book can be a much better gift and bring more joy than the hottest high-tech gadget that is virtually sold out everywhere
• volunteer at a soup kitchen, give imperishable food to a community food drive, help out an animal shelter, etc…
• send an email, video message or a special card to someone you really care about expressing why you are grateful for them in your life

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Gift trends come and go. Objects fall apart.

Building lifelong memories and warm holiday traditions carry on and are often passed down to generations long after we are gone.

Will you remember what you got this year a year from now?…5 years from now?…10?…20?

Or will you cherish the laughter and closeness that are created by a detox from the media and be present this season with quality experiences, giving from the heart and creating from the spirit? Make this season one to remember for a lifetime.

How are you going to bring the holiday spirit into your family?

Comment below with one thing you plan to make this holiday season the best yet and one to remember.