January can be a difficult month for some people. All the energy of Christmas preparations is gone. All the visiting family is gone. It is reality time.

Decorating for the holidays is fun and gives us a sense of anticipation for all the merriment to come. Preparing for back to work and school along with the decorating aftermath can be overwhelming. Taking the decorations down maybe not so much fun; and finding places for all those new gifts can be a daunting task.

For me, taking down decorations was an annoyance because they were stored in the attic. I needed to get new storage containers anyway because the boxes had degraded so much. The answer to my problem was decorative boxes. They are cheerful and I can leave them out. They serve as decorations themselves. I also relocated the décor boxes to a closet that I had just emptied that is more convenient for me. These 2 simple changes put a smile on my face and made taking down Christmas décor an easier almost pleasant task.

Will it hurt to take down the décor in stages? You can leave gifts under the tree until you find a spot for them to be stored or displayed. There are no rules that say all décor and gifts need to be put away in a day. You might need to purge or donate some things before putting gifts away. You might want to try on any clothing for fit before you put it in the laundry pile.

So prioritize by your comfort level. If getting laundry done and lunches made for the first day of school is more important to you and your family, do that first. The décor can be put away at a more relaxed pace once you know your family is prepared for a new school/work week. Or you can divide and conquer. Everyone can pick a chore based on their skill level…even the ‘littles’ can pitch in.

Concentrate your efforts by your priority. Breakdown the momentous tasks into lots of smaller tasks and throw in some fun and relaxation before reality must settle in.

Happy New Year!