Christmas and the holiday season can be a time of great joy, great stress, or a combination of both. For many people it consists of a roller coaster of emotions and the upheaval of everyday routines. But the idea is that this is supposed to be a time of happiness and celebration, so let’s talk about how best to keep the experience entirely positive.

I’m going to focus on Christmas, but you can apply this to any holiday, no matter what you are celebrating. How can we truly enjoy ourselves and benefit from this magical time of year, with as little stress as possible?

I’m going to divide this into six possible situations, and then offer ideas and suggestions to improve each one of them. Of course, you are free to mix and match any of these suggestions, according to what works best for you.

Here is a list of the six possible experiences that you may be having, and how to cultivate the best outcome in every circumstance. Just pick the ones that you feel best apply to you.

First Possibility

 You are totally into Christmas and the holidays, and you are having an awesome experience! 

Solution – Well, you certainly don’t need any advice from me. Just continue to enjoy yourself! 🙂

Second  Possibility

You are totally into Christmas and the holidays, but are feeling stressed out and overwhelmed with everything you have to do. 

Solution –  You need to take some time out for yourself, even once a day if necessary. This is important so you can release tension and reset your energy.

Usually, when we get into these situations, we tell ourselves that we don’t have time to take a break. This is the time that we need it the most! It’s important to remember that the reason you are doing all of this is to cultivate joy in your experience and in the experience of those you care about. If you are strung out with stress, you are no longer carrying that wonderful energy of peace, joy, and love. So it’s important to heal yourself and harmonize your energy every day.

Decide that you will take a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes each day just for you. Do something that relaxes you, and helps you to unwind. It’s important to let go and release, so your body can restore its natural equilibrium. This helps to clear your mind and keep your energy in balance.

Third Possibility

You enjoy the holidays, but there’s that awkward family situation or annoying relative(s) that you just dread dealing with. 

Solution – Depending on your family situation, you will either feel at your best or at your worst here. The important thing is to hold your own inside of yourself.

If your family situation is difficult, spend some quiet time in meditation first. Get centered within yourself, and be true to who you are. Then decide to let your family members just be who they are, too, even if you don’t agree with them. Let go of any need for people to be different than they are. Why cause yourself unnecessary strain? This is all for a very short time anyway, and probably not worth getting totally stressed out.

Another thing that might help is to see if you can find something to appreciate about each person. This will shift your focus from the negative to the positive and help you to relax and not take things so seriously.

If you are willing to be secure inside yourself because you love yourself, then you don’t have to waste energy trying to change them. You might be able to understand them a bit more, and then just let it go.

Fourth Possibility

You have lost a loved one, and the holidays only serve to renew your pain. 

Solution – Of course there is no solution here, but perhaps there are some ways to ease your grief and make things a little less difficult. But if your loss is fairly recent, you may need to honor the grieving process and allow it to take place despite the holiday season.

If you feel that enough time has gone by since your loss, you can use this time to honor that person that you love. Think about how their presence in your life was such a gift. Perhaps create a special holiday ceremony to include their precious memory in your activities.

Do a gratitude exercise to acknowledge the gifts that they continue to give you, due to the fact that you will carry the benefits of that relationship with you forever.

See if you can think of ways to rejuvenate the joy in your heart that this person brought into your life. This way you are still including their beautiful presence in your experience today. Remember that no one is ever lost in the mind of God. We are all One.

Fifth Possibility

The holidays are mostly obligatory for you, and you can’t wait to get it over with. 

Solution – Of course, you are always free to totally ignore the holidays altogether. But if that is too extreme, then here is another idea. 

Create a special holiday ritual just for you. It doesn’t matter what it is, just make it something that you enjoy. Make it something that you can look forward to. There are no rules that say your holiday experience has to be a certain way. The important thing is that your special creation makes you happy and adds renewed peace to your heart.

The reason to do this is to create a positive association with Christmas and the holiday season. When you feel more positive, you might be better able to enjoy what you feel you must do for others. From here you can begin to create an upward spiral of positive energy, instead of feeling burdened by the whole idea.

Sixth Possibility

You feel especially lonely around the holidays because your life is not what you’d like it to be. 

Solution – Believe it or not, you have an awesome opportunity in this situation! Instead of sitting around feeling miserable, you can use this time to transform your life. 

Since Christmas occurs at the end of the calendar year, you can take this time to do a review of your life, your beliefs, and your habits. What changes can you make so that the coming year is much better for you? Set your intentions in advance of January 1st.

Divide the coming year into 4 quarters, and set your intention for each one. This type of planning will uplift your spirits and help you to feel in control of your life again. The optimistic energy this generates will transform your experience, and help you to plan for a much better Christmas next year. Now you can smile again!

Have a beautiful holiday, no matter what your situation!

Try to look at Christmas and the holidays as a time of Light, Love, and transformation. Connect with the positive energy overall. You are an infinite being who can enjoy celebrating the truth of who you really are. 

This is a time of completion, letting go, and preparing for a wonderful new year ahead. It’s a time of generosity, forgiveness, and love. There is simply no limit to the number of creative ways that you can take full advantage of this beautiful time of year. Use your imagination and be inspired.

And most of all, take care of yourself, be happy, and have an awesome holiday experience!

What has your Christmas or holiday experience been like? Do you have any other ideas to make it a happy time? Share with me in the comments below!