Smiling faces, happy families around a dinner table, and snow.

You can’t turn on the TV and you see a smiling, happy, fully engaged family around a packed dinner table. It’s Christmas.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

It’s wonderful and don’t get me wrong. I really, really love Christmas but …

It can be a bit stressful.

Stressful because:

– You’re traveling. I remember that one Christmas overseas we arrived on Christmas Eve 8 hours later than planned. Missed the family engagement party that my sister so kindly had organized for us. And landed without our suitcases that had all our presents and clothes. The suitcases didn’t arrive until two days before our return home. I know that the expression is better late than never but Christmas felt a bit different wearing the same travel clothes and with none of the carefully chosen presents.

– You’ve lost a beloved one. Maybe this is even the first Christmas without them. You just miss that person.

– You have expectations that didn’t come true. You just wished your family was more, well, like the ones on TV. Or you wished that you didn’t have to go to your in-laws again this year. And what about telling certain family members every year,  “No, vegetarians don’t eat ham.”

Now, maybe you read this and think, “How sad! It’s the holidays! I never feel much stress. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

If that’s you: please stop reading because this article is not for you.

But for those who find the Holiday season a bit stressful, and for anyone who grips their smart phone a little too tightly – read on.

The Holiday season asks for giving. Giving not only to others but to yourself as well.

So, here we go with some simple self-care tips.

The Guide to Holiday Self-Care

1- Create some time for yourself.
Read a book. Take a bath. Walk your dog a bit longer. Meditate. Create some time for yourself. It’s a beautiful time for silence. You don’t need to attend each Christmas event. Better attend one and be fully there than attend three and wish that you were somewhere else.

2- Let go of perfectionism.
Things will go different than you have imagined. Your cake is burnt because you chatted away on the phone. You forgot to buy aunt Annie a Christmas present. One of your children got a cold. You got a cold. It’s all good.

3- Book a hotel room.
Some people love to be surrounded by a lot of people; others need mores space. Decide what you need. You can be totally part of all the family fun without staying in the same house. And although you might be afraid to upset a family member by doing so, just communicate it in a respectful and loving way. And you never know, maybe it’s a relief for them as well.

4- Manage your workload.
A couple of months ago my husband pointed out that every time we’re about to leave on a trip, I go into a frenzy washing clothes. It seemed like all the laundry needed to be done before we could leave for the airport. He was so right about that. Why was I doing that?

Ask yourself, what do you add to your work load? Are you trying to finish a lot at work? Doing some extra chores at home?

Can it wait?

Don’t add more work to the already busy Holiday season. You know the laundry – or whatever you like to add – will still be there.

5- Set an intention.
What is this Holiday season about for you? Connection? Introspection? Love?

What will make this Holiday season a good season for you? Then set an intention around that theme.