Pre-paving for Joyful Holidays by Elizabeth Fayt

The holidays should be whatever you want them to be. However, many people complain the holidays are filled with stress, rather than their ideal, such as finding joy in time with family and friends. You hear people talk about Christmas and other holidays with dread, as if the dates are another deadline: buy piles of gifts, have a perfectly decorated home and have it all together by Dec. 25 — or at least by New Year’s Day! Perhaps your Hanukkah or other observance has become just as stressful. When you feel stressed out by the demands of the holidays, it’s a sign that you need to find balance.

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Holiday Obligations or Opportunities? by Corey Yanzito

Sometimes I feel like we’re so busy doing all the things we “have to” do during the holiday season that we neglect to remember why we do them and what makes the season so amazing. This season gives us the opportunity to get in touch with long lost friends. This season brings cold temperatures that are perfect for hot cocoa, cozy blankets, and snuggling. The snow that keeps us home from the office also gives us the chance to take a much needed afternoon snooze. The family gatherings that can cause us so much stress are also the chance to form closer bonds with your loved ones and let go of old wounds.

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