As much as the approaching holidays can be a time of joy and celebration, for many people this time of year is also filled with increased stress and can be overwhelming. According to surveys from the American Psychological Association, and from Healthline, on holiday stress, some of the major causes of stress include money issues, lack of time, difficulty adhering to healthy habits, commercialism, and pressure to get and give gifts. For many, this time of year becomes so busy that we often don’t pause to reflect on what might be most helpful for us. Yet taking a little time for reflection and for being proactive can go a long way towards transforming our stress at this time of year. I’d like to offer a short practice to do this, and some concrete suggestions for how to translate this into actions and changes that can have a positive impact on your holiday season.
