We all know that the holidays can be hectic. If you’re reading this, it’s probably during a five minute reprieve from the chaos and the cooking of the season.
Maybe you have family over for Christmas, or maybe you’re in the middle of Hanukkah. Maybe you’re prepping for Kwanzaa on the 26th.
Whatever celebrations you’re prepping for or experiencing, you’re likely surrounded by friends and family, and it can be…a lot.
No matter how you celebrate, the holidays are crazy, and expensive, and offer a lot of rushing around for a holiday that’s meant to be all about peace and joy.
But don’t let the commercial craziness and the family frenzy keep you from the perfect holiday. Don’t let yourself get dragged down by the Holiday blues or get angry or stressed.
If that sounds easier said than done, then just follow my advice, and you’ll have the best holiday ever.
Now, you may think the days of winter magic and Christmas Eve excitement have passed, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
I, for one, reserve the right to return to my childhood wonder around the holidays. I love snow, cookies, Christmas music, decorations, things that smell like pine and sugar, and pretty much everything else associated with the holidays.
Of course, these days I also enjoy some whiskey to keep away the cold, or a nice mug of mulled wine along with the cookie that I swiped from Santa’s plate, but the same reasoning stands.
The holidays are meant to be a time for gathering together and enjoying life. It’s meant to be a couple of weeks of relaxing and loving every day as you spend it with the people that you love the most, partaking in odd traditions that vary from family to family.
But, with Christmas buying lists, dinner to make, people to host, and a thousand other things, it can be hard to keep your hold on the spirit of joy and good will around the holidays.
Today though, you’ve either reached the finish line, or you’re about to. So take a deep breath, sit back, and let me tell you how to be your best, most spirited self for the rest of this year.
The secret to a happy holiday is actually much simpler than you might think.
It doesn’t require expensive gifts or crowded Christmas parties.
All you need are the people that you love and some treasured family traditions.
A lot of the time, we get wrapped up in the errands and to do lists of the holidays, and we forget to actually enjoy the end result. Instead, we fixate on the work and preparation, and end up stressed, overworked, and out of funds.
But, even if this sounds like you for the past few weeks, now is your chance to turn it all around.
How?
By partaking in holiday traditions with your loved ones.
Maybe it’s tradition to open one present on Christmas Eve. Maybe you make s’mores together. Maybe you haven’t partaken in some of your old traditions in the hassle of the past few years.
If there’s something your family used to do that you loved—bring it back!
Maybe you do a white elephant gift exchange. Maybe you sing Christmas Carols loudly while drinking eggnog. Maybe you all sit down and read The Night Before Christmas, like you used to for your kids when they were young.
Whatever traditions you used to have or still have, today is the time to break them out, and enjoy every moment of them.
The holiday season, on top of being a time for love, giving, and family, is a time for nostalgia.
Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and it’s even been proven that it can inspire positive change in a person’s mental wellbeing.
Immersing yourself in traditions and memories stops you from working about the logistics of the holiday, and fills you with happy memories that fire off ‘happy hormones’ that can ensure that you are at your very best and brightest this holiday.
If you want to go even further, you can take this opportunity to create new traditions.
Maybe you get everyone together tonight to make a gingerbread house. Maybe you drive around and look at Christmas lights together. Think about holiday traditions that sound fun to you, and try your hand at making them a part of YOUR holiday routine.
By doing so, you get the creative gears in your head working, which again gives those happy chemicals a boost, as well as helping you get in touch with the part of your brain that creates memories, connects with people, and builds confidence.
In other words, if you can get into the holiday spirit, it really will make everything Merry and Bright!
Good advice, thanks