The holidays can be a very stressful time on individuals as well as families. It is a time when there are so many events scheduled that you may end up neglecting what is most important to you and to your family. Here are five things that you should do to keep things in perspective this holiday season.
1) You need to continue your routine of daily prayer and scripture study. You also need to continue having family prayer and scripture study every day. This will do more than anything else to help you stay on track spiritually as a family. Additionally you should continue to have family home evening together, but you can get creative and attend concerts if you need to.
2) Take care of yourself physically. This means getting plenty of sleep and exercising on a regular basis. Many people get the winter blues, because they are indoors more. You can avoid this by going outside for at least ten minutes every day. You can encourage your family to be healthy by planning activities that encourage exercise. Additionally be sure that you serve healthy well thought out meals at least four nights a week.
3) Decide that you and your family will not do everything. You may decide that each person gets to decide on one special event or activity. You simply cut everything else out. You do not need to go everywhere and do everything. By being selective you will create memories that are special and more positive for your family. This allows you to create traditions for your family as well.
4) Scale back on the gift giving. This really does add stress to your holidays. Keep your gifts simple and fun. Less really is more when it comes to gifts. Children can be so inundated with gifts that they start to mean nothing to them. By selecting a few nice gifts you will teach your children to appreciate what they have.
5) Remember why we celebrate Christmas. Take time each day to contemplate the blessing of the gospel and of the Atonement. We are celebrating the birth of our Savior. This is a wonderful event because Christ was able to open the doors for us so that we can return to our Heavenly Father.
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