What things we don’t have to finish before the New Year: a psychologist’s checklist

The last days before the New Year are “hot” for many people. One realizes that some things remain unfulfilled. Nervousness and anxiety arise, and you want to do everything at once. Work, personal affairs, meetings are exhausting, fatigue appears, and your morale can deteriorate significantly. Sometimes the race for completed tasks leads to depression.

Psychologists advise to soberly assess your capabilities, not to dramatize and allow yourself to postpone the implementation of part of the cases for the new year. Do not forget about a positive attitude. If you did not have time to fulfill something of the planned – it means that in the next months there will be more opportunities and tasks will be performed better.

The new year is another deadline, a line to which you want to finish all the things or plan new ones. It’s almost like “start dieting on Monday.” It’s the brain’s attempt to somehow discipline itself in the chaos of its own life. But sometimes this positive desire leads to negative consequences.

The desire to finish everything in a tight deadline and prescribe the most precise dates of new things – trips, going to the doctor or business projects – only adds anxiety and worry. Plans to “close the tails” and throw off the excess weight of responsibility on the eve of the passing year turn into an obsession.

Marketers add to the stress by reminding you that you’re not getting anywhere and need to hurry up, especially with gifts. Unfinished business constantly hangs open tabs in our heads, draining our energy and strength. Try relaxing and not doing some of your scheduled chores.

How to unload yourself?

• Give yourself permission not to clean the house.
• No desire to buy all the gifts? Postpone this activity for the first days of January. Stores are open on New Year’s vacations.
• Do not want to shop for food for the feast? Adjust the menu and order pizza on New Year’s Eve.
• You don’t have to buy a new outfit for the holiday. There are great traditions to welcome the New Year in pajamas.

Techniques to help you relax

If you realize that just not doing all of this won’t calm you down, catch this instruction. It will help you feel like you’re in control. It will make it easier for your brain to accept your irresponsibility.

1. Make a list of your unfulfilled to-do’s

Take five minutes and write out all the important tasks that need to be done before the New Year. Cross out half of them and leave only those without which it is simply impossible to celebrate the holiday. And the rest – in a relaxed mode distribute to other days without being tied to exact dates.

2. Treat yourself

Do not forget about your condition, reward yourself with pleasant purchases, especially when you are hard, and the work rhythm presses psychologically. Visit your favorite cafe, watch a new movie or series. Unloading and relaxation are essential for your productivity.

3. let go of the situation

Realize that New Year’s Eve is a holiday. And you want to enjoy it, not stress. You don’t need to conform to other people’s expectations. Don’t compare yourself to others and their accomplishments before the holiday. Buy Christmas tree decorations or take a walk and feel the atmosphere of the approaching event.

4. Prioritize

Think about what it is that you want. Is it so important to have a perfectly scrubbed floor before the holiday? Perhaps you can realize that it is not necessary to have time to buy gifts for all your family and friends before the chimes strike. You can look for presents for your grandmother on January 3, if you go to her on the 4th. Rationalizing your worries will help you focus on the really important tasks, canceling unnecessary ones.

5. Feel sorry for yourself

Don’t feel sorry for yourself if you didn’t get something done. And for the next year, add a new habit to your life – don’t berate yourself and remove self-criticism from your life. Praise yourself for every accomplished task, focus on the pluses. A positive attitude will prevent you from collapsing into apathy and will allow you to gather yourself before accomplishing important tasks.