Stress-free holidays

Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount
of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give
yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it's right, I
guarantee that your entire body will feel it.
— Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), O Magazine, October 2002

As the end of the year creeps closer, the little and big stresses of
the holiday season seem to be leaking into our daily lives. So we are
doing what makes the most sense to us, going away somewhere warm!

But, if you are staying home and looking forward to having family and
friends nearby, here are some suggestions to get a head start
on the season and make it as stress free as possible from Simple
Abundance for coping with stress:

Cultivate gratitude
Begin the day with prayer, meditation, reflection
Keep it simple
Don’t over schedule
Strive for realistic deadlines
Never make a promise you can’t keep
Breathe deeply and often
Drink pure spring water — lots of it (Side note: My trick is to
have four 500 ml bottles of water on my desk and I make sure
I drink them all before the end of the day – that is the minimum
amount needed! Put a couple of more in there if you work out that day.)
Eat only when hungry
If it’s not delicious, don’t eat it
Laugh more often
If you don’t love it, live without it
Don’t answer the telephone during dinner
Stop trying to please everyone
Start pleasing yourself
Stay away from negative people
Nurture friendships
Set achievable goals
Create boundaries
Express love every day