The holidays are a wondrous time of year filled with every imaginable delight for your senses. Great tasting food, beautiful decor, soft and fuzzy sweaters, and music that only comes around once per year. It’s no wonder people can’t wait for the holidays to help them escape into a time of family, fun, and festivities.

While the idea of the holidays is usually delightful, the realities can be quite overwhelming. Juggling an already busy schedule with added activities during the holidays can quickly take the wonder out of the season and replace it with stress. What started out as Happy Holidays becomes Surviving the Holidaze.

The holidays don’t stop for stressful life events either. Illnesses, injuries, or adjusting to big changes don’t get put on hold during the holiday season. There are some years that the holidays co-mingle with great loss or change. Finding a way to embrace the season while dealing with setbacks can be tricky.

The holidays don’t have to wear you out. There are many things you can do to reduce stress and streamline your holidays. Believe it or not, you don’t have to recreate a Hallmark Channel version of the holidays in order for them to be magical. It’s entirely possible to decorate, host family, cook meals, entertain, and still enjoy the season. It’s also entirely possible to celebrate the joy of the season while simultaneously managing great loss.

Ultimately, the holidays may not look like anyone else’s but that’s the point. What makes your holidays happy may not look anything like what someone else is experiencing. The key is to focus on your unique needs at the time and craft a holiday that makes the most sense under your circumstances.

Letting go of guilt, expectations, and overwhelming yourself helps put the happy into your holidays. Knowing what you can manage alongside everything else going on is what helps you mean it when you say “Happy Holidays” to others.

This season – and every season after – should be a reflection of your life in the moment. If you’re experiencing abundance with your finances, time, and energy, let the season reflect it. If you are weathering a great storm, allow yourself to modify your holiday to accommodate the needs you and your family have at the time.

There’s no reason to struggle during the holidays. The season is designed to give pause for reflection and celebrate with family and friends. Keeping the focus on these things allows for the holidays to remain manageable rather than overwhelming.

Today’s assignment: If you had to choose only three things you want to be sure to incorporate into this holiday season, what would they be? Also, why is each one so important to you?