Holiday Parties: Tips for Surviving The Season🎄🎅

Preparing for this year’s string of holiday parties has me feeling festive. I look forward to seeing my music business compatriots and my personal friends. I like dressing up or down, toasting to a new year, and recapping the one we’re about to end. 🎅

But if you’re anything like me after about 5 celebrations I start experiencing “holiday-party-fatigue.” Right? And then I start considering skipping one — staying home and binging on Mrs. Maisel. But people…Mrs. Maisel can wait. 🎅

I’m going to share with you some secrets to maintaining stamina while enjoying yourself so you can make it over to the other side: 2020. Ready? 🎅

First of all, have a little nosh (that’s Jewish-speak for snack) before you leave for the event so you don’t get caught on an Insta story stuffing your face on the “small bites.” 🎅

Don’t worry about double-dipping an outfit. I promise you, other than my girlfriend Aileen (who remembers everything) no one will notice if you wear the same faux-leather leggings on two different occasions. (I plan on wearing mine to all of them). Oh and you can always repurpose a little black dress by throwing on a sequined scarf, adding a hat, switching from clear gloss to fuchsia lips. This applies to men as well. I’m happy to say I see more guys in nail color these days than ever before. Let your flag fly! 🎅

If you are one who suffers from name-retention anxiety, consider venturing out with a sidekick and creating a signal (earlobe pulling, head scratching) that will summon a rescue when you (or your sidekick) stumble on an introduction. Some day technology will advance to ShazHim or ShazHer….an App (I’ve often imagined) that will identify a subject when an iPhone is held to their back. Trust me. It’s gonna happen. It’s just a matter of time. Until then, the sidekick strategy will be useful. 🎅

Of course, not everyone drinks. Many of us are sober and many more should be. But if you partake in social imbibing, pace yourself! When you’re having a great time it’s easy to lose track of refills. So put a couple of ice cubes in your egg nog (iced egg nog is actually divine) or add a little Pellegrino to your Chardonnay. 🎅

If you’re a singer be wary of over-taxing the vocal folds. Loud rooms require projection. I learned the hard way last March when I had an unfortunate life changing vocal hemorrhage. Now I might ask a pal to join me in the kitchen, or outside on a bench so that we can have a quieter catch up. Believe me they appreciate that I really care about hearing what’s going on in their life. 🎅

Which brings me to…if you need to give your voice a rest, or something else a rest like your smile, your facial recognition software, your stiletto’d feet, then slip off to the rest room and get alone with yourself. Put the porcelain lid down and park yourself there. Check your email, text a friend, review the selfies you’ve been taking. Or just close your eyes and breath for a few minutes. For those who get severely over-stimulated I recommend a short guided mediation on Insight Timer. You’ll return to the soiree refreshed, calm and ready for round 2. 🎅

Most important, Pace Yourself. You’ll be no fun for anyone if you’ve overdone it and wind up depleted on New Years Eve. Seriously. If you’ve been invited to 3 holiday parties on the same night, limit your stay. Go to each one for 45 minutes. Make them count. Find the faces of the people you love the most and be sure to give them a big hug. Tell them what they mean to you. And remember you’ll get more out of a couple of quality conversations in the corner of a kitchen than trying to work the entire room. 🎅

I hope this is helpful. 🎅

Have a Merry Christmas. A Happy Hanukkah. The Sweetest Kwanzaa and a splendid time working your way up to the new year. I mean…decade! OMG. 😳

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