(Video) 4 Steps to Holiday Happiness

Taking charge of your own happiness is essential. I like the forgiving attitude... I think it's most difficult when I'm driving, in traffic. This is great.

I think it's really important to know your own limits and to have an "out" for when some of those moments get to be too stressful! I really love my family more than life itself, but oh boy do they drive me crazy sometimes! We've taken the time to lay out guidelines for when we're together that make our holiday gatherings a lot less stressful. Yes, I am aware that laying out guidelines sounds a little weird, but for me it was essential! :)

I also make sure not to over-extend myself and to really know when it's time to draw the line and just say no! The holidays are meant to be enjoyed, so choose to enjoy them and not to let the stress get to you! :)

Check out more of my answer at my Life Well Lived blog post here: http://www.mybeautifulday.net/2011/12/enjoying-hol...

One of the reasons that people stress so much about this time of year is that the expectations are so high to make everything perfect and magical. And if your relationship with certain family members isn't all that great, it probably isn't going to miraculously heal itself with all the spiked eggnog in the world.

More from my Life Well Lived post:

http://www.shrinkingsisters.com/shrinking_sisters/...

Don't overbook. Decide what the most important events are, and then protect all your other time. You will need time to decorate your house. You will want to make cookies. You will need to do some shopping. You have a lot to do. Even if you simplify, Christmas is busy, so choose the events/parties/celebrations that are the highest priority and don't go to them all. And this is coming from me who is an EXTREME extrovert. Realize you don't need to meet anyone else's expectation. If you are communicating your values and doing it in love with consideration of the people who care about you, you don't need to feel pressured into fulfilling their well-intentioned plans for you and your family. At this same time, lower your expectations for yourself. Today, I pulled out our family's Christmas decorations. I decided that I wasn't going to pull anything out that requires creativity. Because I'm not. Creative, that is. Not in decorating my house anyway. And I've decided that it's okay. We will have a tree and lights and a wreath. Everything else, I left in storage. In fact, I returned it to storage after looking at it for a fleeting second. I have come to know who I am and as much as I want to be all those other Martha Stuarts in the world, I am not.

I decided to edit the amount of Christmas decorations that I display in my house. Rather than just "throwing up" (and I use that term purposefully), every little item I have in my multiple boxes of Christmas things, I took the time to look at each item. I thought about the overall look I wanted to achieve. I thought about how the colors would live together in the room and how to display things at just the right level so the little ones in the family could enjoy them. The result is not only a well-designed, well-decorated space, but I was surprised with how much more I enjoyed setting up the decor. As I gazed at each item, I recalled fond memories. One object in particular brought memories of my childhood flooding into my heart and mind. A simple plastic ornament that has a propeller like aluminum blade that spins delightfully when the heat from a Christmas tree light bulb rises. My father brought it back with him from Korea when he surprised us with an early return from his military service. Other memories, more recent, filled my heart with warmth. I even gave a satisfied sigh when re-storing two full boxes of decor that just didn't fit my vision this year! The bottom line for living life well during the holidays has been to edit, edit, edit and reflect, reflect, reflect and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

I learned a lot from Thanksgiving last week. In retrospect, it all feels like a blur. Between all the baking, driving, showing up late to lunch, keeping up with the kids while I scarfed down my meal, and general family insanity, I realized that I didn't stop to enjoy the holiday.

My plan for the upcoming celebrations is to live in the moment and breath deeply. I want to stop and enjoy watching the children play. I want to really taste all the wonderful food that our family prepares. I want to sit back and watch everyone enjoy opening their presents.

I don't want another holiday to escape me because I'm too frazzled to really soak it all in.

I am empowered to forgive and love freely. Love these tips.

I'm definitely a fan of the "fake it 'til you make it" - by choosing to be happy - even while stressed - you naturally become happy! From selecting activities that will bring you joy (and counting them as "appointments" that are just as important as those pesky work deadlines) to choosing that Aunt Martha's obsession with picking apart your parenting is an amusing sign of love rather than a horrible thorn in your side, it IS possible to capture the holiday spirit.

Yeah, it is tough sometimes, but I try to practice what I preach!

More: http://www.karianna.us/blog/archives/2011/11/survi...

I'm actually going to try to stay on track by keeping a list. I've never been a list person before, so that will be a challenge! And most importantly, I am going to focus what December 25 is actually about: not shopping or gifts or meals but the birth of my savior. That should definitely help keep things in perspective.

I usually look forward to the holidays. I love to spend time with friends and family, and I love the craziness of all the plans that seem to be made in such a short period of time. However, not this year... It has been a crazy year, and not a good kind of crazy. I feel like I missed out on summer, with everything that happened, so how can it be the holidays? But, I know that once the frenzied activity starts, I will get into the spirit. I think the secret is to find your own happiness so that you can enjoy the company of others without focusing on the negative. Let’s face it, the holidays are stressful, and we are thrown with people we don’t always love or get along with swimmingly, so if you are confident and happy with yourself, you can overlook some of the nonsense that goes along with the holidays and not take it personally. Also, having a full wine glass never hurts J

Choose happiness - my own personal favorite!

For me it is keeping the true spirit of holiday in focus. It is not about the shopping and decorating but the time with friends and family. WE all know it is easy to think that way but we all get caught up. Be sure of take some me time. For me this means getting to an exercise class or taking a walk to look at the decorations. (with family too if you have to) also stay hydrated with lots of water. We often eat and drink a little too much during this time so this is vital.

I like these tips! Especially the first one. Good to keep in mind!

For me, it's all about keeping things simple. My husband and I try to limit the number of presents that our kids get, and give each other only one gift. Also, we usually tell each other exactly what we'd like, which definitely simplifies the process! I also try to keep my expectations reasonable. Yes, Christmas dinner is probably going to have at least one dish that I burn or undercook, but the important thing is that we're together to eat it! And, when we feel like the family is getting too overscheduled or tired, we make it a point to play hooky from whatever we can easily skip, so that we have time to get some rest.

This year I have decided that in order to get through the stress of the holidays and instead choose happiness, is to let go. Let go of finding that "perfect" gift and be okay with a thoughtful-within-my-budget gift. It is the thought that counts...not what a picky relative thinks. Let go of being pressured to make my home look a certain way. Instead I am decorating it the way that makes me happy and allows me to still stay sane. I am letting go of trying to do it all and choosing to do less so that I have time to take in the little moments of this holiday season...hot cocoa, crisp cold air, snuggling up at home with a Christmas movie. Too often I try to make everyone else happy which only makes me miserable. So I am choosing to let go...so that I can be more thoughtful, caring, and happy instead. I will be happier and so will those around me.