I just came back from spending Thanksgiving in South Carolina with family, and while the holidays are lovely, with traditions, special meals, family gatherings, etc., it can be A Lot. Especially if you’re someone who is introverted with High Alone Time Needs. Like me. But there’s no reason you should struggle during what is supposed to be The Most Wonderful Time of the Year…if you just keep some things in mind.

You Can Say No

To invitations, to guests, to requests for help.It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. It’s like on the airplane when the flight steward instructs those traveling with small children to put their oxygen masks on first, before assisting their child. If you pass out, you won’t be able to help anyone. It’s the same on the ground – if you don’t take care of yourself first, at least some of the time, you’ll have nothing left for anyone else. So if you feel like you have enough on your plate already, don’t feel you must accept more invitations or requests. You don’t.

PLAN YOUR ESCAPE

Let your guests or hosts know ahead of time that when you start to feel like You’ve Had Enough, you may disappear for just a little bit. Go for a walk (fresh air always helps), do a ten-minute meditation, read, lie down with your eyes closed. If you don’t feel comfortable being so open about hiding out then offer to walk the dog, run to the store for last-minute items, take out the trash or pick up others from the airport.

Don’t Rush

When traveling, get to the airport/station ahead of schedule so you can avoid the last-minute check-in crowds, find yourself a quiet spot at the gate, and board early so you can get settled in your seat and set yourself up with book or earbuds or closed eyes, deterring any neighborly chatting from your aisle-mate.

Shop Online

Whether gift or grocery shopping, you can do it all online these days, avoiding the crowds at the mall and check-out lines.

Opt Out

It may sound drastic, and you may end up with FOMO sitting home alone on the actual holiday, but if a big gathering is just really causing you anxiety, then opt out. Offer your guests or host another option at a less chaotic time. Arrange to meet for a coffee catch-up, just the two of you, the week after Thanksgiving. Or fly out-of-state to see family when travel is cheaper after the holidays – they’ll have more time to spend with you then and it will probably make for a better visit.

If you’re someone who struggles being around a lot of people for extended periods of time, maybe give some of these suggestions a try during the upcoming holidays. Let me know if they helped!

The Outfit

This is the outfit I wore for Thanksgiving dinner. The white jeans are a little dressier than blue denim, and the top is lightweight and loose, allowing me to hide the food baby after dinner. It’s a chiffon-like fabric over a silky cami, with not-annoyingly-large bell sleeves. I always think bell sleeves are a little fancier than a straight sleeve, don’t you? It’s very floaty, so it’s nice on its own or under a cardigan…and with the colors in it, I can wear it under several different cardigans I have for multiple outfit options.

The Location

We shot both on the dock in my sister’s Cat Island, South Carolina backyard, as well as the ruins of Old Sheldon Church in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The building was originally known as Prince William’s Parish Church. The church was built as a chapel in the English Georgian style between 1745 and 1753. It is believed to have been burned by the British in 1779 during the Revolutionary War, rebuilt in 1826, and then burned again in 1865 during the Civil War.

The ruins lie among majestic oaks dripping with live Spanish moss and scattered graves, both above and below ground. Inside the ruins of the church lie the remains of Colonel William Bull, who “greatly assisted General Oglethorpe in establishing the physical layout of Savannah, Georgia. Bull surveyed the land in 1733 to form the basic grid pattern of the streets and squares.” In recent times the ruins have been a popular site for photographers and wedding ceremonies.

What I Wore

I’m linking-up today with Emma of Style Splash

Thanks to my wonderful daughter Katie for the pictures. She was a delight to spend time with over the holiday.

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Gwynnie Bee