Tis that time of year again and you may be fully embracing it with Gingerbread latte in hand and Christmas jumper donned… or you may barely be noticing the jingling of bells, or your compatriots festive cheer.  No matter which camp you are in however, we can all have a better holiday season, and perhaps, one of the best holiday seasons ever. Here are a few tips Santa sent us himself.

• Music and candles: Even if you didn’t get that holly wreath this year, you can still transform your home into a holiday haven with a few candles and some Christmas music.  Try the Ultimate Christmas Playlist on Spotify.

• Donate: It doesn’t matter if you don’t have lots of extra cash this holiday season.  Do something small like donate £3 per month to Save the Children, or get involved with your local food bank.

• Call your Christmas Card List: What is more impersonal than a card sent out in bulk with a barely legible pen scratch saying you can’t wait to catch up in the New Year?  Call your Christmas Card list!  Even if you don’t have a VTSL business phone system you can still call using whatever phone system you are silly enough to still have.  A 5 minute conversation with each of your friends and family members will put holiday spark in everyone’s step.

• Spend time in nature: Cold crisp air, the smell of logs burning, a woolly scarf keeping you warm; whether you are city-based or chilling in the countryside, getting outside into nature (yes the Common will do) will help you relax, connect with friends and feel part of the season.  Maybe bring a mulled wine for the ride.

• Schedule quiet time (or sleeping time): Mission-critical to a happy holiday season is downtime. Time in which you aren’t dancing around doing reindeer vodka shots, or nursing sick children back to health, or preparing for yet another big meal. Schedule in some time to sleep, or just sit by the fire in peace with a book.  If you have a VTSL phone system you can easily set up a holiday message so callers know what days you are closed.

• Make a list and check it twice: There is no need to feel overwhelmed this time of year so long as you have… yes, a pen! Get organised by writing down what you need to do.

• Bake Christmas treats: Even if you only do it once every 12 months, put some love into a cookie recipe and give your delicious goods to your neighbours.

• Get some money you didn’t see coming: Refer a business you know to VTSL so that we can have a chat with them about phone and internet possibilities. If they end up taking our services, we will pay you 15% of the first year of revenue.  That could be a significant amount of money.

From all of us at VTSL, we hope you do actually have the best holiday season ever, and a truly fabulous New Year. Thank you Santa for the tips!