The holidays can be a stressful time, but a large part of it may be self-inflicted. By changing how you set yourself up during the holidays, you can change your experience. You may feel that you need to reach for more eggnog or wine to deal with your depressed or sad feelings during the holidays. 

This is actually the worst thing you can do if you are feeling this way. When you drink alcohol, you are trying to treat depression with a depressant! Eating too much and drinking may seem like they make you feel better, but it usually results in feelings of guilt. Plus, you usually have a hangover to deal with that makes you feel even worse! Try to deal with your holiday emotions by using something healthier than alcohol. You can always see a therapist if it is something bigger than you can handle alone!

​Come back each day for more tips on how to survive the holidays!

The holidays can be a stressful time, but a large part of it may be self-inflicted. By changing how you set yourself up during the holidays, you can change your experience. As you prepare for the holidays remember what we are celebrating. It has little to do with large dinners, big parties, being perfect, and buying lots of gifts. 

​The true reason for the holiday is to acknowledge the greatest gift humanity has ever been given. It is a time to spend in quality time with family and friends, counting the blessings we already have. It is also a time to spend doing good for others we love and for those who are less fortunate than us. 
Keep coming back for more tips on how to survive the holidays!

The holidays can be a stressful time, but a large part of it may be self-inflicted. By changing how you set yourself up during the holidays, you can change your experience. Don’t spend a lot of time thinking about past holidays and comparing them to now.   As times change, loved ones pass on or move away, traditions change, and that’s okay. Focus on the now, not the past.

Sometimes when you go home for the holidays or spend time with family, it’s easy to get sucked into old patterns. Do you ever feel like you are a teenager again when you go home? If you find yourself falling into patterns you would rather not repeat, take a moment to yourself and remember who you are now and all the growth that has occurred since then. If there is someone at the family gathering that know the “you” you are now, spend some time with them to ground yourself.

Keep coming back for more tips on how to survive the holidays!

The holidays can be a stressful time, but a large part of it may be self-inflicted. By changing how you set yourself up during the holidays, you can change your experience. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to always be “on”. You don’t have to pretend to be excited when you’re not. This doesn’t mean you should act like the Grinch, but its perfectly acceptable to tell people you are tired or under the weather if they notice your lack of enthusiasm. Try not to overanalyze your interactions with others and throw guilt out the window.

Keep coming back to this blog for daily tips on how to survive the holidays.

thiThe holidays can be a stressful time, but a large part of it may be self-inflicted. By changing how you set yourself up during the holidays, you can change your experience.

​Only you know how much you can handle and still stay healthy physically and mentally. Don’t say yes when you know you should say no. You don’t need to feel guilty about saying no when you know it’s for your health and happiness. Saying yes to too many things can set you up for being overwhelmed. You simply can’t make everyone happy all the time. Decide ahead of time how much time you want to spend with family and friends this Christmas and how many obligations you want to take on. It’s also fine to ask family or friends for help if you are feeling overwhelmed. You don’t have to do it all alone! 

Its also important to set boundaries on gift giving. Choosing carefully who you want to give gifts to as well as how much you want to spend is important. One or two thoughtful gifts can go just as far as a whole pile of gifts. There is no need to go into debt over Christmas. Set a budget ahead of time and stick to it! Sometimes the gift of presence is better than the gift of presents!

​Keep visiting this blog for more tips on how to survive the holidays!

The holidays can be a stressful time, but a large part of it may be self-inflicted. By changing how you set yourself up during the holidays, you can change your experience.

When you expect perfection of your holidays, you set yourself up for failure. Nothing is ever perfect, so expecting it to be, sets you up for stress when things don’t turn out perfectly. Travel, decorations, and gifts all need to have realistic expectations. Set realistic budgets and then be okay with being practical. Also remember that you cannot control your family or every detail and circumstance. It is okay for things to go differently than you had planned.

When you see what seems to be perfection in other people's holidays or on social media, remember that you are seeing their highlights reel, not the blooper reel. Keep that in mind when you feel like you aren't measuring up.

This is the first in a series of practical tips for how to have a healthy, happy holiday season. Keep coming back every day for more tips!

Did you realize that a good attitude can affect your health in tangible ways? This Bible verse is fairly well known, and science backs it. Depression and a lack of energy often go hand in hand. Depression is something that you need to see a professional about, but if you are just having a down day, try changing your mindset and see how it affects your energy!

Some versions of the Bible put it this way:
A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 
Proverbs 17:22

Reserach has now found that depression is also linked with low bone mass and osteoporosis! Get help if you deal with depression. If you are just feeling a little down, try to focus on positive things!

We all know that eating fruits and veggies is good for our long-term health, but did you know it can actually help you feel happier in the here and now? A recent study out of Australia studied over 12,000 people and they can up with some pretty astounding findings! 

Lemons are an amazing little fruit. You may not think about them much because of their sour flavor, but they are packed with vitamin C! In fact, one raw lemon (minus its peel) contains over half of your daily dose of vitamin C! This is why it has been commonly used to treat scurvy, which may make you think of pirates! Aye, matey, them there lemons will cure what ails ya! OK. Enough of the pirate talk for now!

Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.”  Most of us have a certain “comfort food” we crave when we feel out of sorts, but some foods have a more lasting emotional impact than others.  These foods can help keep you calm and happy by nourishing your brain and improving your mood.