The holiday season should be joyful; filled with happy moments and festive memories. It should not cause us to dread its coming and send us into stress overload. But many of us let the demands of the season hurl us into a panic as we try to make our holiday merry, bright and oh so perfect.
We want to give the perfect gifts, serve the perfect meal, and have the most beautifully decorated home. As we stress about the holiday, we crush the joy we could be experiencing. So stop the perfection, let go of the financial worries and take a moment to give thanks to everything good in your life.
Let go of your need for perfection and do the best that you can to have an enjoyable holiday season. This year, take back the joy of the holidays and enjoy!  Here are some tips that may help:
Be Sensible – every holiday does not have to top last year’s holiday. That would be totally unrealistic given the fact that life changes, families grow, and old traditions become replaced with new ones.
Make a budget and stick to it – you can’t buy true happiness with an overabundance of gifts. The best gifts are the moments we share with loved ones – so don’t stress financially. Try substituting bought gifts with homemade gifts, start a family exchange or ask for the gift of random acts of kindness from your family and friends. The only cost is a conscious effort.
Outsource and delegate – outsourcing may be cost-effective and less overwhelming for many items on your list. Delegating your long to do list will help bring your family together and provide a more efficient, less stressed holiday.
Stay healthy – get appropriate sleep, exercise and don’t forsake your healthy eating habits – this only adds to stress. Instead, enjoy the holiday treats in moderation.
Say No to too much – you don’t have to be at every party, provide a twelve-course meal or have a sparkling clean house. Especially if doing so will leave you feeling resentful and exhausted.
So this holiday season, reduce your stress and increase your joy. We all deserve a happy stressfree holiday.
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