Embracing Retirement-Decorating For the Holidays is Therapeutic

Volume 13: Decorating is a great way to spend time with your family

Welcome back to my popular series on embracing retirement and getting the maximum enjoyment from it. As I frequently say, you earned it and deserve it.

As the holidays approach once again, we may tend to feel stressed over getting things done; such as shopping, planning meals, wrapping presents, sending cards, coordinating family visits, etc. Adding to the stress is the fact that we are a bit out of practice for these holidays due to the pandemic and not getting together a year ago. Do you decorate for the holidays? Why not turn this “chore” into fun time spent together with your spouse and/or family that can help reduce stress and strengthen your relationships. Afterall, now that you are retired, you have more time.

OK, I know what some of you are thinking. Put up decorations with my husband or wife or significant other? Or the kids? Teenagers? That’s supposed to be fun? Really? Are you nuts? We’ll end up strangling each other!

Maybe my wife and I have a unique relationship. We both like to decorate for Christmas, the holiday we celebrate. Do we always agree? No. Do we squabble a little here and there? Yes. No relationship is perfect. But overall we find working on things together is good for us. Also an important aspect of any relationship is each person having time for themselves. Some alone time as well .

Getting back to decorating for Christmas, we go somewhat overboard. Currently we decorate four large trees, and about five or six smaller ones. Then there’s outside, with the porch and back deck ablaze with garlands, lights, and even a couple of inflatables. Wreaths on the front windows. That leaves the yard, with two crab apple trees filled with white lights, and lighted deer under one of them.

I will share photos of our decorations in future stories since we are in the early stages of decorating at the moment.

However, the point is not how much or little you decorate. The idea is to spend time together with your spouse and/or family. Cherishing and strengthening those relationships. A few months ago I wrote an article focusing on relationships and how I overcame adversity.

Working together with your loved ones can give you enjoyment that helps reduce stress during the holidays. It can help bring things into perspective and keep you grounded. After all, who wants to be stressed during the holidays? Of course being retired, it definitely is easier to relax a little and enjoy things more.

Both my wife and I are noticing that we don’t work as fast as we used to. We get tired a little more easily. You just have to keep going and focus on the tasks at hand. In retirement, it is always good to set goals and have a purpose each day. You will benefit from keeping a schedule. But allow down time also. Enjoy!

So here’s hoping that you try decorating for the holidays if you don’t already participate. I think you will find yourself enjoying it, especially if you involve those you love. Always remember, when you're focusing on hobbies and other activities, you are giving yourself a distraction to the worries in your life.