5 Simple Tips for a Joyful Holiday Season
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And sometimes the busiest time of the year, too. With all the extra celebrations, added errands, and weather changes, the holidays can lead to extra stress, but they don’t have to. Here are 5 simple tips for a joyful holiday season.
1. Limit Your To Do List
No one can do it all, and trying to is a recipe for stress and conflict in your life. As you sit down to make your to do list limit the number of items you can add. The holidays bring extra celebrations and events, extra shopping and cooking, and all those tasks take time above and beyond our normal daily commitments. Each morning, think about what your top priorities are for the day and allow yourself to add only one or two things to your Holiday To Do list each day.
A new idea is to add to your “TO BE” list, instead of your “TO DO” list: be grateful, be relaxed, be joyful, be yourself, etc.
2. Put Joy on the Calendar
What are the things you most look forward to during a holiday season? Is it a certain visit with an friend? A gift exchange over brunch? Watching festive movies and drinking hot cocoa with the ones you love? Whatever your traditions, be sure to put the moments you love on your calendar before it fills with other holiday hustle and bustle. This gives you something to look forward to, too.
On the flip side, try to politely decline certain events or activities if it doesn’t feel right…less can be more!
3. Check in with Your Body
Make a point throughout the holidays to check in with your body. Are you thirsty? In need of a healthy snack or meal to recharge your energy? Are you in need of rest?
Take the time to meet your body’s needs as soon as you possibly can. When we don’t meet our body’s needs, it often finds a louder way to make those needs known. Missing a meal can make us snappy or leave us with a headache. The longer we ignore our needs, the longer it can take to recover. Make a point to check in with your body regularly so you stay feeling great.
4. Give
There is no shortage of charitable opportunities at this time of year, and there’s nothing like the joy that giving to others brings to our lives. This holiday season, start a tradition of giving with your family, friends, or coworkers. You can let each person choose a charity that’s meaningful to them and take up a group collection. Or you might decide to commit to a service project, such as volunteering. Sometimes, it just can being nice on purpose….hold the door, buy someone a coffee, smile…
5. Celebrate the Relationships that Matter
In our last post, 5 Gratitude Practices, one practice we mentioned is to write a note to someone who matters to you. The holiday season is a wonderful time to try it. You don’t have to send a holiday card to everyone in your address book. Instead, consider sending a personal message to someone special. Let them know you’re thinking of them and how much their presence in your life means to you.
Give the Gift of Happiness This Holiday Season
Give the gift of happiness! If you want to share tools and tips to increase happiness, why not gift my book 21 Days to Happiness? You will find it here on Amazon in 3 formats, paperback, audiobook or ebook.
Whatever your plans this holiday season, we hope you and your loved ones have a safe, healthy, happy holiday! If we can help you with any business needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Ingrid Kelada and the KCC team!
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
