Lately I’ve noticed an abundance of tweets and blogs about ways to reduce stress during the holiday season. What is it about this time of year that can make us feel frazzled and overwhelmed? Don’t we love this season? It’s punctuated with catchy holiday music playing everywhere, colorful decorations and lights, wonderful aromas like pine and clove, and the anticipation of going to fun parties, and enjoying special celebrations with our family and friends.

Yet even with all these positive things, this season can also bring on the stress… big time. Here are my best 5 tips for sprinkling your holidays with some happy.

1. Be a “Joy” Detective – We find what we seek. Shift your focus to the parts of this season that you enjoy like singing holiday songs at the top of your lungs, wrapping presents with glittery ribbons, having time with family, or dressing-up in your sparkliest of clothes. Be on the lookout for joy-inducing opportunities. Then stop long enough to appreciate your discoveries.

2. Simplify Gift Giving – Buying and receiving gifts can be stressful. Make this season happier and more meaningful by giving clutter-less gifts. Give experiences instead of things like tickets to a play, day trip at a nearby town, or dinner and a movie.  Not only will the recipient appreciate that they won’t have to make room in their home for your gift (hence clutter-less), but your shared time together will create stronger, happier relationships.

3. Practice Good Self-Care – If we ignore our basic needs like getting enough sleep, eating properly, drinking enough water, and exercising, it makes it more challenging to embrace all the happy opportunities. When we disregard our needs, we get cranky. During this season when excess can take over (less sleep, over-eating or too much alcohol), it’s easy to overlook the importance of self-care. To experience a happier season, don’t forget to be good to you.

4. Revisit Traditions  – Traditions can bring us great joy. There are many reasons why they get modified or disappear completely. Kids grow up, family members pass away, or friends move.  To harness the happy, acknowledge what was and consider refining or creating new traditions if needed. During the holidays, our family used to gather in the Catskills for a giant sleepover at my in-laws. They have both passed away and the rest of the family has moved. To keep the connection, we’re looking at ways to create new traditions. If your traditions are still in place, pay attention to the happiness that accompanies them.

5. Balance the Extremes – It’s hard to think about any kind of balance during this season of extremes with its late nights, excess eating, more visitors than usual, suspended routines, and crazy travel adventures. Many things seem to take a “vacation” or hiatus during this time. If the scale has tipped a bit too far and you’re feeling completely out of kilter, add a few things back in to restore the balance. It might be as simple as taking some deep breaths, locking yourself in a room for ten minutes, or going out for a quick walk. Recognize that the holidays aren’t like every day. Don’t be surprised. Instead, bring back the happy through shifting the balance back closer to center.

I’d love to hear from you. What is your favorite tip for bringing the happy to the holiday season? If you’ve written a post about it, please share it with us and include a link with your comments.

For over 25 years, I’ve been coming to the rock by the river. My favorite way to go there is to walk down our street to the path through the woods, which leads me to the water. I went on this journey today.

I go there for solitude and sharing, for reflecting and conversing, for writing and wishing or for just being. It’s a place of strength, continuity, change and calm. The shifting seasons highlight its beauty in different ways. On this crisp, fall day everything looked and smelled so clear and fresh.

The rocks, which jut out from the sandy bank provide a foundation that allows me to climb, stand or sit. Like our lives, without a sturdy base, things get wobbly. The rocks are there to support me as needed. I climbed out to the furthest rock, which was in the middle of the river. I sat and quieted myself as I took in the sounds, scents and view.

The river flowed by. It twisted and turned swiftly in places and appeared less active in others. The movement was constant like the continuous change we experience in our lives. The water had an energy and urgency about it as if something was going to happen. It made me feel hopeful about life’s possibilities.

That excitement was accompanied by the sound of the water flowing downstream. The river has many noises and beats as its currents swirl and bubble. The diverse tones joined together creating a unified backdrop that was calming and familiar.

This rock by the river is an emotional place. Dreams were dreamed here. Loved ones were loved here. Tears were cried here. Laughter was had here. Balance was found here.

The river flowed. The sun shone brightly. The air shared its breeze. I breathed deeply. This special place has once again allowed me the gift of just being, feeling this moment of balance and gratitude for my rock by the river.

What does balance look like or feel like to you?

“And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen.”

— Terri Guillemets

Life throws us curve balls. Some we catch and others get dropped. During the last several days we had family emergencies, change of plans, comings and goings, and hosting for Thanksgiving. There were tears, laughter, music and quiet. There were hugs, dancing, pain and joy. It was a yoyo of emotions and moods.

Pauses for resting, eating, walking and just being helped me navigate the tumultuous days. Mostly though I was filled with gratitude that our daughters were home and much of our family was here. Holidays can be difficult because we miss our loved ones that can’t be with us. This year, some had other plans, some have passed away and some were too ill to travel. It was a mixture of sweetness for those that were here with a cloud of sadness for the ones we missed.

My heart is full of gratitude and love for the time-shared both in the distant and recent past. With more holiday time coming, I’m looking forward to having the family together again soon.

What are you looking forward to?

One of the beautiful things we can express as human beings is gratitude. Incorporating it regularly in your day can help you keep perspective and balance. Especially now, as Thanksgiving approaches, gratitude thoughts permeate my mind.

There is so much to be thankful for. As we know, life is far from perfect. We are far from perfect. However, in the midst of life’s busyness, pausing to acknowledge the positive enhances our joy and brings us peace. There is much to be grateful for. Take time to reflect and appreciate the wonders that surround you. Luckily, there is an endless supply once you put “gratitude” on your radar. It’s impossible to capture everything. I’d like to share a few from my list.

Linda’s List - I Am Grateful For:

• Loved ones here and gone. I love and appreciate my family and friends. Some are in my daily life, others are at a distance, and many have passed away. No matter where they are, they are always with me. I am grateful for them and don’t hold back from letting them know how I feel.

• Sun and rain. On sunny days, my entire being feels lighter, colors are more vibrant, I feel less bothered by small annoyances, and I can see more clearly. When the rain comes, I love those days when I can stay inside with a good book, a cup of hot tea, and a warm, soft blanket.

• Working and non-working parts. When we're young and when we age, our bodies aren't always able to do as we wish. We either lack the skills or have lost them. There's the time in between when are bodies work as we expect. It’s so easy to take our health for granted. I appreciate all that is working right now.

• Sweet and sour. Nourishment is essential to our existence. I am thankful for the basics, but also am passionate about certain tastes, textures and scents. The short list includes coffee ice cream, almost anything chocolate, black licorice jelly beans, concord grapes, all berries, tomato with mozzarella and basil, grilled salmon, and lemons. I am grateful that my senses are working and allow me to fully appreciate these foods.

• Activity and quiet. Our house was always a bevy of activity as we raised our daughters. We encouraged them to invite friends over, and loved having a full house. They are both away at college now. We have become empty nesters, and it’s much quieter. Soon, the house will be lively again for the holiday. I am grateful for both the energy of a full house and the quiet of less.

• Organization and chaos. As a professional organizer, you might think I only like extreme order. In fact, I am grateful for both order and chaos. I appreciate a certain amount of organization with room for a dash of chaos. I’m grateful for the dichotomy and flow between the two.

• Status quo and change. I recognize that change is essential for growth. I go through periods where I’m actively stirring the pot. But there are also times when I can just let things simmer and be. Both have value.

• Structured and unstructured days.  More of my days have a plan to them than not. I function well with a schedule. To balance that, I also need days when I can just “float.” I can wake up when my body is ready, without a special agenda, and do whatever I feel like. I can do or not do. I need and am grateful for both types of days.

• Old and new friends. There’s a folk song we used to sing when I was a kid that went, “Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” There’s nothing quite like our “old” friends, where we share a history. They knew us when. We share a lifetime of bonds and experiences. With new friends, we are in discovery mode. The ties are in the making.  I am thankful for all of my relationships.

What are you feeling grateful for right now? Take a gratitude break. There’s space below in the comment area to share your thoughts.