Article by Kevin L. DeWitt

The holidays are a busy and stressful time for most people - with family visits, travel, work, gift shopping.  Not to mention all the many types of events – many of them “command performances” - that happen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

And we try to stay sane.

So … what’s the secret to having a wonderful time during the holidays?  Well, I don’t pretend to have the answer.  If I did I would have bottled and sold it long ago.  

What I think may be one answer to having a great holiday and dealing with the additional stress is to stay in the moment as much as possible.  I have been trying to do this.  It’s a work in progress.  And it’s easy to forget when the stress is staring you in the face.

This is something I work on all the time, and it’s easy to forget.

I think it is also we can all do with a little practice. Try thinking of something that make you happy … makes you smile … makes you feel calm and relaxed.  When you feel yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, remember the feeling.  Say something to yourself to help you remember that positive feeling.  This is your tool to pull out and use whenever you feel the need.

Now try the same thing with whatever you’re doing that adds to your stress during this holiday season – shopping for a gift for a loved one, a company Christmas party, your tenth school Christmas performance you need to attend tonight after work.  Whatever it is, while you’re there try to focus on that one thing to the exclusion of everything else.  Really be in the moment with that thing or that person.

Remember what’s most important to you during these holidays.  Family, friends, church, God.  Focus on that during these holidays, and remember that the rest is only noise.

“There is nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.”
-Erma Bombeck

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