“But Danielle, what if my days aren’t merry and bright?” you ask.

Hey, that’s okay. I totally get that.

The holidays come with lots of planning and traveling and buying and gifting and cooking and making and thinking and talking and so. much. more. It’s bound to be a stressful time. If you’ve been tuning in the past couple weeks, you know that having Seasonal Affective Disorder or even just the Winter Blues can make things even more stressful. 

Let’s talk about some ways that we can not just get through the stress of the holidays, but how we can actually start to see some of that merry and bright that everyone is singing about. 

Here’s 6 ways to get out of the holidaze and back to celebrating the holidays:

• Set your intentions

First and foremost, do not under any circumstances let negativity impede your space. Whether you are allowing it in or someone else is, now is the time to say no more. Say it with me – I will not let negativity impede my space. It all starts with this intention. Next, set other intentions you’d like to see come to fruition during the holiday season. Want to spend time with family or friends? Set the intention that you will. Start with “I will” and actually say it out loud. Once you say your intention out loud, it becomes more real. It becomes the start of a plan. Even if you work 12 hour days and have no vacation days. If you set your intention to spend more time with family and friends, it will happen. Once you’ve set your intention, you’ve started the process. The ball is in motion and it cannot be stopped.

• Maintain your healthy habits

The holiday season can come with the start of lots of unhealthy habits, which then turns into people making resolutions to stop those bad habits. But what if we never indulged in them in the first place? Keep holiday stress at bay by maintaining your healthy habits. Keep waking up and going to bed at a decent time. No oversleeping or not sleeping enough. Keep eating (relatively) well. Okay, you can indulge in a holiday cookie or two, but don’t give in to everything for the sake of the “holidays”. It only ends in your body not functioning as well as it could be and just impounds the stress level. Indulge, but keep your healthy eating habits in mind. Remember to stay active too! It’s easy to get out of the healthy habit of exercising when your schedule kind of goes out the window. No work doesn’t have to mean no exercise! Make it a priority. Lastly, remember to keep checking in with yourself. If you’ve been tuning in, you know that being self-aware is super important, but especially during a stressful or busy time in your life. Check in with yourself, check in with your loved ones, and ask that they check in with you too!

• Accept imperfection

The holidays can bring a lot of expectations to light. The expectations of society, yourself, your mother-in-law, your family, your friends – it’s a lot! Release yourself from these obligations. You do not have to be what anyone else wants you to be. Stay true to who you are and if someone is upset by that – so. what. Let them be! Let them stress about it. Because you? You’re not stressing this holiday season. You are releasing yourself from these unrealistic expectations and the stress that comes with it. 

As you release yourself from these unrealistic expectations, you’ll also start to realize that it’s okay to not do it all by yourself. Planning and doing everything by yourself is unrealistic. Reach out for help. Ask family, friends, whoever to help you out. Because chances are, they’re going to need help at some point too. “It takes a village” doesn’t just apply when you have a child – it applies here too. Lean on one another. Create your own support network. Go on – find your vibe tribe!

• Remember what’s important

Through all the crazy and chaos, don’t forget to remember what’s important and to savor the good moments. When those precious moments happen, soak them up. Try not to think about your never-ending to-do list. Stay mindful and present. Practice gratitude. Remember what you have to be thankful for. Prioritize those things and (like #1 on this list!) set your intention that you will make time for those things. 

• Be kind

Even when it’s hard to muster a smile, be kind. Kindness and generosity go a long way, especially during the holidays when stress has befallen others as well. You know the saying that you should always be kind to others for they are fighting a battle you know nothing about? Well, it’s true! Everyone is writing their own story. Some people might be at the beginning of their story. Others might be well into their second or third book. Some people might be finding it hard to even keep writing. Others might be going back to rewrite a portion of their story. All of this, we know nothing about. So why not err on the side of being a good human? Be kind. Always. It makes the people around you happier and it makes you happier. And really, this is the foundation to a better world! It all starts with being kind. So, choose kindness this holiday season.

• Take a break

When all else fails, take a step back and take a break. Practice mindfulness. Be present in the here and now. Take a walk outside in the crisp air, enjoy a hot bath, have a cup of your favorite warm beverage. Basically, stop what you are doing and just do less. Again, drop the expectations. Things don’t have to be completed by a certain time or day if it’s impeding on your mental or physical well-being. Things will get done when they get done. Do less. Take a break. Go back to your task when you’re in a better headspace. You’ll be more productive then anyway. 

• Have fun

And lastly, don’t forget to have some FUN. Cliche? Yeah, maybe. But, so what? Sing along to the song, dance in the kitchen, play outside in the snow. Got kids? Nieces, nephews, grandkids? How about friends with kids? Take a moment to observe them during this holiday season. They know how to have fun. Let your inner-child out and just. have. FUN.

From my family to yours, I hope you have a very Happy Holiday season. 

xo, 

Danielle