Once again it is the holiday season and for those of us who celebrate Christmas we hurtle toward the day. Many people get over-stressed trying to put together all the pieces to make the holidays special. There are so many things to do, baking, cleaning, decorating, shopping.

Shopping can be the worst stressor – what to buy? Who to buy for? How much to spend? How far to get into debt?

Even those of us who don’t celebrate Christmas can feel the pressure of the holiday season – is it impolite not to give a gift to the boss, your employee, the letter carrier?

Sadly, the holiday season can leave you feeling drained and frustrated.

If you feel caught up and overwhelmed with it all, take the time to step off the treadmill and give a gift to yourself:

> Go for a walk in nature and enjoy the stillness of a country path.
> Get the guys together for a rousing game of touch football.
> Have a “spa day” either at home or professionally.
> Get a haircut.
> Go to the massage therapist.
> Make a big bowl of popcorn and some hot chocolate and watch something fun on television with friends and family.

Don’t let imagined or real stressors get you down. Be sure to take some time for yourself during this very busy time of year to unwind, breathe and enjoy life!

This year will be a little different for my husband and me. Our youngest child will be out of town visiting her grandfather, and our oldest lives on his own now. So this year we will be alone on Christmas morning. I am sure we will be fine with that; it will just be different.

Others, however, are facing Christmas without loved ones for any number of reasons. It can be a very sad time and sitting alone with memories can be upsetting.

I remember the year we decided to stay home for the holidays, after many years of travelling for hours to my hometown for Christmas with the extended family. It seemed very strange to us and we weren’t sure what to do with our time. We decided to make markedly different plans that year.

We knew that many nursing homes welcomed visitors for the residents who had no one coming to see them. We also knew we would be welcome to serve Christmas dinner to the homeless at a local church. We discussed it with the children and all decided to do the latter.

It was a very different Christmas for sure. We missed our old traditions and visiting with family, but we had a wonderful time serving Christmas dinner, laughing and talking with those less fortunate than we.

If you face a different Christmas this year, you might want to think about making a change in your routine, getting out and spending the day with others. You’ll have a memorable and heartwarming time.