Set boundaries now to enjoy your holidays

If you want to enjoy the holidays, you must be intentional and you must set boundaries early in the month (and always), otherwise everyone will want a piece of you, you’ll be spread too thin and you will head into the holidays exhausted, possibly resentful and very likely feeling more stressed than ever!

Decide what is really important to you.

I suggest you put self-care (exercise, eating well, and sleeping) on that list. If you don’t, I guarantee that you will feel miserable. Regarding your workouts specifically, you can modify or shorten them, just don’t skip them. Prioritize consistency over intensity.​

Remember to build time for enjoying people who you really​ want to spend time with and also remember that you don’t have to say “yes” to everyone. Schedule some of these visits for after the holidays, because January can be boring, but if you have a friend date scheduled, January can be more fun!

Don’t feel obligated to do everything. Ask for help, hire out for some things if you can or simply don’t do certain things (last year I had to skip the Christmas cards because it was simply too much, and while I was a bit sad about it, it also saved my sanity.)

Finally, have the mindset of gratefulness. It’s a very special time of year, indeed, and, at least for me, it truly is “Jesus is the reason for the season” and how he died on the cross to become my savior.

If that’s not you, you can still practice gratitude easily by reciting three things you are grateful for as soon as you wake up and just before closing your eyes at bedtime….you will feel stress melt away when you can find things to be grateful for!