How do you learn to say no, and what to say no to?

[Eatsleepworkrepeat]

Another Christmas of running here, there and everywhere, feeling grotty and burnt out. I've been mulling over how to do things differently next year, but I can't seem to get from the idea of cutting down to seeing how it could actually happen! The (nice, I guess) problem is that each commitment is enjoyable/worthwhile in itself, it just all adds up to a manic and stressful festive period. Visiting elderly relatives and other family members seems essential, which means the only bit we could trim is social events with friends, but that seems sad too! Has anyone successfully trimmed their Christmas schedule, and if so, how??

I host an event where everyone comes to ours. I'd rather have the stress of hosting one big lunch over the stress of multiple visits. Everyone seems happy with the arrangement.

Visiting elderly relatives and other family members seems essential

Could you do this during December?

Rather than over 24 - 1?

Thanks cotton and gina, both of those suggestions are good and seem so obvious, sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees! Yes we seem to try to do everything in the actual Christmas week, actually the kids wouldn't care if Christmas with their cousins was a couple of weeks early, and would get one thing off the schedule. And one busy day with local family dropping in here would leave a couple of days free.

I often find that, for me, spreading the visiting out really helps.

And everyone is (hopefully!) happy 😊