The Holiday season is upon us.  Have you started to feel the change?  The stress and frantic-ness that the next month brings with commitments, obligations, over spending and over indulgence?  You can maintain your sanity over the next month.  Really you can!  Here a couple of tips to help you through the craziness of the holidays.

1.       Limit your commitments.  Yes, holiday celebrations are fun and exciting.  They can also been draining.  Limit what you will commit yourself to.  Check in with yourself, are you committing because you want to or have to.  If you have to, limit the amount of time you spend there.  You can have fun, spread joy and cheer without exhausting yourself.

2.       Set boundaries.  During the holidays do you tend to go all out?  Throw caution to the wind?  Do you comprise to make others happy?  Setting Boundaries is a healthy way to deal with the holidays.  Wither the boundaries are with yourself and how much you’ll drink, eat or spend.  Or with friends and family.  You deserve to feel wonderful doing the holidays.  Not overwhelmed or upset because you over indulged or comprised yourself for someone else.  Struggling with setting boundaries, talk to a trusted friend, family member or therapist. 

3.       Take time for you.  Often times during the holidays people are busy doing for others they often forget to do for themselves.  This can lead to feeling drained, unhappy and taken for granted.  Each day set aside a couple minutes for yourself, doing something you love.  Listen to music, dance, enjoy and savor your coffee or tea, watch the sunset.  Do something for you that brings you a sense of contentment and peace.

A couple more tips to help you survive your holidays. 

·         Enjoy solitude and quiet every day, either by meditation, doing a grounding exercise or just spending a couple moments in silence. 

·         Take time to be thankful for all the awesome and wonderful things and people in your life who you love and appreciate. 

·         Cut yourself some slack, the holidays demand a lot.  You need to take care of you first and foremost and then tackle the world.  When you are on top of the world and feeling fabulous everything seems to flow and be easier. 

What works for you to survive the holidays?  Remember if you are struggling during the holidays you are not alone and there is help out there.  Reach out to a trusted friend, family member or therapist.