First off, just a quick apology for the lateness of today’s post. My web-host had a short outage on my server this AM, and then the next time I had a chance to get this posted was, well, right now! Enjoy!

Today is Black Friday in the United States, the biggest single retail day of the year. Now, for those of you who were intent on getting the bargains, you were potentially already in line last night, but for those who weren’t, I’d just like to take a look at this day, and others like it (Boxing Day in Canada) and it’s impact on balance.

Some might be wondering what Christmas (or other holiday) shopping might have to do with balance. The way I see it, the link is this. The Christmas season and its related parties, celebrations, get-togethers, and family dinners are a lot to get done. Add to this a potential year end crunch at work, and you’re putting extra stress on the system (the system being you). So what can we do to try to make sure we stay balanced through this time of year.

Now, as I’ve said before, the concept of balance is going to be different for different people, so I’ll take a look at two potential impacts these massive retail days have, from opposite ends of the spectrum.

Black Friday = Good

For some of us, days like Black Friday are the answer to many problems. A single day to do all (or a good portion) of your shopping can be a great way to batch all your tasks and finish up early. Perhaps you’ve been planning your lists for everyone for days, weeks or months, and poring over the deals online and in the flyers. You’ve got your thermos of hot chocolate ready, along with your collapsible (or disposable) lawn chair for waiting in those early morning lines. You’re ready to brave the crowds for one day, and get it done.

The benefits to this approach? You might be able to get all your shopping done in one day, and then can deal with the rest of your holiday commitments without that weighing over your head. The challenge? You’re not the only one thinking this. There’s a reason that Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and it’s because there are a LOT of people shopping. Things that you might be able to buy in fifteen minutes on another day might take thirty minutes to an hour just waiting in line to buy on this day. But availability and price breaks can be hard to beat later in the holiday season.

Black Friday = Bad

For others, the thought of working through the crowds and battling with tens or hundreds of others for the same deals just isn’t appealing. Just the stress of trying to get through the one day of craziness causes more harm than good. Being able to do the shopping without the crowds or without having to devote an entire day to shopping can be a much more balance-friendly alternative for some.

So what’s the alternative? Take a few hours over the span of a few days to get things done, in short bursts rather than the marathon of a Black Friday. This means you can fit your shopping in around other things, and get it done when it works for you, as opposed to an arbitrary day set by stores

Another way around this is to schedule your own “Black Friday”. I figure this is something I’ll do for a good portion of my pre-Christmas shopping this year, and take a day off in the middle of the week and hit the malls. I’ve done this for the past few years, and it has been great. The malls are quiet, traffic is light, and you get the added bonus of a day off work in the middle of the week.

Regardless of what you think of days like Black Friday, the key is to do what works. If the madness of a single day of shopping with everyone else doesn’t work for you, then don’t do it. However, if that’s something you thrive upon, then by all means go for it!

Cheers,

Adam