1. PLAN AHEAD

It is important to have a solid plan both for the holiday and post-holiday season.

Carefully map out how many days you will spend in a hotel, when you will travel back home, and what you will be doing, and stick to the plan.

Ensure that you also have a financial plan in place. Stick to it. Plan for the holiday costs and the post-holiday costs as well.

Plan work-wise and take that holiday while ensuring that you will not be overwhelmed by your workload once the holidays are over.

2. BE REALISTIC

Prepare yourself and your family on what to expect during the holiday season.

Ensure that everyone is ready and informed about where they will be spending their holidays at and who they will be meeting.

This ensures that they are prepared and are not blindsided by things that could have been avoided.

Be as realistic as you can about the holiday season in order to put up emotional armour if need be and in order to avoid disappointments. 

3. DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF

Kenyans use the holidays to meet up and catch up with other family members.

This inevitable comes with comparing yourself against them. Comparison and the fear of not measuring up is one of the main reasons why people overspend, as they buy gifts they cannot afford and hire cars in order to show other people how well they are doing.

To prevent yourself against this, make sure you have made peace with yourself about where you are in life.

Avoid comparing yourself with others and focus instead on having a happy holiday. This will ensure that you do not have hurt feelings post-holiday.

4. SET A ROUTINE 

While days and time bleed into each other during the holidays, the importance of having a routine, especially for the young ones, cannot be overemphasised.

Have them wake up and sleep at a set time even if it is later than they normally do.

This ensures that there is some structure to work with once the holidays are over.

It makes it easier for the young ones to reintegrate back into their normal schedule, which will not be the case if they are left to their own devices.

5. PAY BILLS

While the December holidays are a great excuse to go all out and spend that moolah, it is important to plan ahead and ensure that the January bills are paid in advance.

Pay the school fees and rent before leaving for the holidays. This ensures that money meant for important things does not go to unimportant stuff such as drinks and gifts.

6. REMAIN ACTIVE

While it may be tempting to sleep from dawn till dusk, resist and try to get in some exercise.

It is okay to have a bit of rest after a year of hardwork. However, ensure that you get in a few hours of exercise and movement.

Go for a walk, swim, gather firewood, wash the dishes, run after the goats, just move. This ensures that you are not sluggish post-holiday.

It also ensures that you have an excellent supply of endorphins both during and after the holidays.

7. HAVE SOME ‘ME TIME’

Ensure that you have some ‘me time’ even amidst the holiday activities. Check in with yourself regularly.

Review your day at set times of the day and evaluate how you feel. This ensures that you can immediately deal with any emotions immediately before they can snowball into something bigger.

It also ensures that you do not feel drained and exhausted once the holidays are done and dusted.

8. STAY SAFE

With the number of Covid-19 infection cases going up in the country, it is important that people practice preventative and safety measures to ensure that they are not saddled with health and funeral bills once the holidays are over.

Get that Covid-19 test done before travelling upcountry to visit your elderly parents, uncles and aunties.

Ensure you are fully vaccinated as well. Practicing care today may save you heartache tomorrow.

9. BE PRESENT

Be present and steep in every moment of your holiday. Whether spending the holiday alone in the city, or in the countryside with the family, be wholly there and enjoy every moment of it.

This will inoculate you against post-holiday regrets. It will also make for great memories that can make the post-holiday period even more enjoyable.

10.REST

While it may be tempting to hop from one party to another, and to engage in endless festivities, ensure you schedule in some time for rest.

You do not want to start the New Year tuckered out and with little energy. Remember that everything is about balance.

So, enjoy the festivities while ensuring you get some much needed rest.