How to Create in the Midst of Chaos

This is a guest post by Michelle Nickolaisen of Wicked Whimsy.

The holidays can be a time of great happiness, but they can also be a time of stress and chaos. In between you staying with family, family staying with you, shopping to be done, presents to be bought, and parties to attend, things can get pretty hectic, and whatever you’re working on at the moment can end up taking a back seat. Not only can this lead to feelings of frustration, but it can make you less likely to pick back up your projects after the holidays. Here’s a couple of tips for continuing to create in the middle of the holiday chaos.

• Carve out some ‘you time’. This is especially important for introverts, who don’t recharge without getting some time alone. Even if you’re not getting anything done while you’re alone, if you have some time to yourself every day, you’re less likely to be stressed out and irritable the rest of the time.
• Meditate in the mornings. You don’t have to do it every morning, but meditating is even more important during stressful time periods because it gives you a core of serenity that lasts the rest of the day. Try just five or ten minutes before starting your day while listening to music you like & focusing on deep breathing.
• Earplugs or headphones. The uses of these are obvious and many. If you’re lucky enough to have a pair of fancy noise cancelling headphones, put them to good use this holiday season.
• Entertain everyone else. This isn’t always a viable option, but it can work surprisingly well, especially if you have houseguests and don’t want to be a bad host. Have a board game or a movie on hand to entertain the others with, and you can have at least an hour to yourself as a result.
• Try using paper instead of a computer. It might not be possible depending on your current project, but if it is, it’ll probably work better in the short snatches of time you’re likely to get. It might be a personal quirk, but I find myself much more prone to distraction when working on a computer instead of paper – there’s just so many different things you can do! A computer also takes longer to get ready to work on – you have to turn it on or open your laptop, open the program you want, have a desk to sit at, etc. If you have a notebook for your current project and just carry it everywhere with you, you can write ideas down whenever you have them and work on your project whenever you can – all you have to do is open the notebook and write. (I suggest carrying a pen as well, to prevent that frantic scramble for a writing instrument before an idea leaves your mind!)
• Have a list. Before you start your day, write down the things you’d like to make progress on that day, and then whenever you have a few minutes to yourself, refer to the list and see what you can get done right then, no delay. Whether that’s editing a blog post or working on a mind map, you’ll be surprised how much you can get done this way.

Have any tips that you use for chaotic situations? Share them in the comments, I’d love to hear!

Michelle Nickolaisen is a 22 year old blue haired Austinite who blogs about creativity and spirituality at Wicked Whimsy.

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