Blogmas Day 5 – Tips for getting into the Holiday Spirit

Helloooooo merry readers!!

It’s already day five of Blogmas – five down and twenty to go!! I’m pretty surprised that I’ve managed to make it this far without having a nervous breakdown, but somehow I’ve managed to keep my head above the water (or hot chocolate to keep things festive). 

Christmas is definitely coming to town – there are lights and decorations all around Durham city, my flat is obviously decked like the inside of Santa’s workshop, and I keep hearing Christmas music and seeing people selling little Christmas bits and bobs everywhere. 

HOW FESTIVE!!

However, I know that it can be a bit more of a challenge to get into the holiday spirit for some people. Not everyone is like me, and as soon as it even gets close to December, I’m already jingly and ready to cover everything in tinsel and chuck merriness around like confetti. But, sometimes it’s not just like slipping on a pair of comfy shoes, you need to mentally prepare, gear up and get things rolling before you can throw yourself into the festivities, so if any of you are still hovering on the border between Christmas and the rest of the boring year, I hope that this blog post helps! We don’t want people feeling Grinchy this year – I am making it my goal to spread as much Christmas cheer as possible so get on the sleigh with me!!

Create a Christmas playlist 

Music is always very inspirational. You start playing a song, and I guarantee within 30 seconds, the vibe will be set, and people will begin bopping along. Soooo use that very sound scientific logic to help you get into the holiday spirit. Take some time, browse through YouTube or Spotify and curate the world’s new best Christmas playlist for you to listen to. Honestly, I’m immediately in the holiday spirit when I listen to Christmas music, so once you have your playlist ready to blast, you’ll soon be dancing along as merry as any elf. 

Break out the decorations 

If you’re not an auditory being, maybe you’re a visual one? Have you ever just suddenly felt so excited and jolly when you walk past a store that has its Christmas window display up? Or when you see oodles of Christmas lights everywhere, or sparkly tinsel and jingle bells? If that’s the case, then it sounds like the key to your ailment is to roll up your sleeves, break out the tinsel and deck the halls. LITERALLY! That way, you’ll not only get into the holiday spirit by decorating but you’ll then be surrounded by Christmassy things so you can stay in the holiday spirit. 

Bake something festive 

We’re really covering all the senses in this blog post, aren’t we? Food can also be quite experiential and a great way to prepare you for the upcoming festivities. For instance, I immediately feel Christmassy when I start drinking chai lattes (although that is an all-year thing), baking gingerbread and mince pies. So if food is the way to your heart, you might need to get your taste buds on the same page as the festive calendar by baking something festive. And a bonus is you then have something really delicious to eat after. 

Make a to-do list or bucket list (hint hint) 

Christmas can come and go so quickly, or it can seem so overwhelming with all the choices available to us, so an excellent way to make sure the holidays don’t shoot past, or you don’t really get into them, is to make yourself a list of some sorts of holiday activities. This could be a to-do list, a list of Christmas events in your area to attend, or even a Christmas bucket list (a bit of shameless self-promotion here – you can totally use mine by clicking here) and hopefully, your list gets your merry mojo going. 

Start a new tradition 

It can often be difficult to really enjoy the holidays if you don’t have something to keep you connected to it. Once you have a tradition, though, that’s something that will get you into the holiday spirit designed especially for you and be a fantastic thing you can continue for years to come. Maybe you could start writing and sending Christmas cards or baking gingerbread for all your friends? I didn’t have loads of traditions growing up, but one of them is listening to a specific Christmas song when I make Christmas food or wearing festive pyjamas. A new tradition can be such fun and an amazing memory to create. The only limit really is your creativity. 

Christmas movie marathon!! 

This, for me, is a sure-fire way to get into the holiday spirit because it’s an overload of Christmas. You’ve got lots of Christmas movies to get through that are just filled with merriment and designed to make you feel all jolly. You’ll need to wear Christmas pyjamas, of course (my personal rule) and have some sort of Christmassy snack/drink, so if you’re not in the holiday spirit after a day like this, then I have a few concerns… If you’re looking for film inspiration you can check out a post from last year’s Blogmas of my top 10 favourite Christmas films here!

Make Christmas plans with friends!

The holidays can be a lonely time. Honestly, if you don’t have some Christmas activities to do with other people, it can be challenging to get into the holiday spirit. To combat this, try to make some merry plans with some of the people in your life. I don’t have my boyfriend or family around at the moment so I can’t do Christmassy things with them, but my friends and I are planning a Christmas dinner, watching Christmas movies, my best friend and I are going to the different Christmas markets, and that gives you something not just to look forward to, but something merry and jolly to enjoy. 

And that’s all for my list of fun ideas to help get you into the holiday spirit. I know that not everyone is as Christmas-obsessed as I am, but it’s still fun to get into the festivities, so hopefully, if you are struggling to embrace the merriment this year that this list has helped you out. Do you have any ideas to add to this list? What do you do each year to get you into the holiday spirit?? Also, how are you enjoying blogmas so far? Let’s chat in the comments section!

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx