It seems like before you know it, we’ve come to the end of the Year where all the festivities begin. Christmas is days away, and just like clockwork work, everyone is getting into the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

While Christmas might be a holiday to look forward to for many, for some, Christmas is a stressful time, and they have a hard time getting into the Holly and Jolly of the occasion.

I used to go all out for Christmas, decorating the house and braving the crowd while I did my shopping. But I find myself getting burnt out for the holidays. Sometimes, we carry on the traditions of Christmas, not understanding why we are doing it. We are just carrying on with our business because it is that time of the Year.

We decided to take back Christmas and make Christmas our own again a few years back. Of Course, Christmas is about getting together with your loved ones, but that does not have to define or consume your holiday. There is a balance between being with family and enjoying that particular time of Year your way.

Over the last few years, I have become more mindful of my holiday capacity. I don’t go all out in putting out all of my decorations because I realize after putting it up, I will be the one taking it down. So I know to put up what I think would not be too stressful to take down. Instead of going to the crowded store the last few weeks before Christmas, we started shopping early. For one, that helps us budget out what we can spend for the holiday instead of paying for gifts into the following Year.

Every Year, we have a big family get-together with the extended family, where we have to make a 6-hour drive to and from, which we decided to do every other Year instead.

Those minor adjustments we’ve made regarding how we approach the holidays have brought us more joy and peace of mind, allowing us to be more present when enjoying the holidays.

Regardless of what you do and your traditions for the holiday, there is still time to make small changes that will make the holidays so much more meaningful and merrier for you. I hope This will be the beginning of a shift in how we approach the holidays, and that shift will help make your holiday season brighter.

Happy Holidays!