What I’m noticing is that consumption season is year-round in the US.

During my move, I made trips to the local charity donation place.

It was always overflowing with stuff.

Mountains of stuff.

Two men were desperately trying to stay ahead of all of it.

Stacking, managing, and even discarding things.

A lot of it looked like cheap stuff ordered on Amazon, used a few times, and then given away.

It got me thinking about how we also overconsume cheap food that lacks any nutrients.

We have an overconsumption problem.

It’s making us sick, obese, and putting us into debt.

We're obsessed with fast fashion and quick fixes.

When we don't get immediate results, we discard and start again.

It's a hamster wheel.

It’s the time of year when there’s an abundance of overconsumption - eating more sugar, drinking more alcohol, and spending money on gifts.

Costco has Christmas decorations out before Labor Day.  

Black Friday deals now start as early as October, with Amazon Prime Day starting yesterday.

I’m sure your email inbox is overflowing with all the deals and sales that started this week.

In a few weeks sugar season starts with Halloween.

It’s no wonder people reach January and enter a state of deprivation with cleanses, diets, detoxes, and Dry January.

They have to recover from three months of overconsumption.

I did a group course with ten women on how to manage perimenopause and menopause.

We discussed how to manage the holidays, as they can be a source of extra stress, especially for women.

Several said they exchanged gifts that they didn’t want to buy or receive because they couldn’t have a truthful conversation with family members.  

They talked about how many gifts were donated to charity because they didn’t want them.

They felt resentful of having to prepare lavish meals or do all the gift buying for friends and family.

What would a season of moderation look like?  

I’m all for enjoying a glass of champagne or eating a delicious sugar cookie.  

Have protein and vegetables first, and then have the dessert or drink.

You’ll feel better, and you won’t find yourself drinking the entire bottle or eating a whole plate of desserts.

What if you had the honest conversation about exchanging gifts?

Rather than buy another scarf, you planned to go out for a meal or attend a concert or event together?

Share an experience. 

I guarantee you’ll remember it more than the sweater or scarf.

My nieces and nephews don’t talk about the gifts my Mom bought them.

They remember the trips we went on together.

If you’re in charge of preparing a meal, can you ask others to help you?  

A shared Google Doc is a fantastic way to coordinate who’s doing what and manage a grocery list.  (This is how my sister-in-law and I keep eight people fed on our family vacations - it works like a charm.)

As the holidays approach, how can you have a season that lights you up rather than makes you want to go on a food, alcohol, and emotional detox in January?

We’ve been discussing our thoughts for the last few weeks and how they impact our actions or inaction.

When it comes to the holidays, I know for many women the desire to please others can fill our minds with thoughts about what we should and shouldn’t do and say.

Is your brain offering up all the reasons why you shouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings or rock the boat?

What are those thoughts coming up for you around the holidays?