Simple Ways to Feel More Joyful During the Holidays

Tis the season to gather your loved ones together and bask in the delights of spending time with them, right?

The holidays are a time for joy and celebration, however it's also a time of year that can be stressful. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or sad during the holiday season, don't worry. You CAN breathe through and appreciate this special time of year. Here are five simple ways to feel more joyful during the holiday season:

Start celebrating early

One way to feel more joyful during the holiday season is to start celebrating early. Get a tree, put up decorations, and play festive holiday music. Start your celebrations early so that you don't have to rush around in December trying to get everything done at the last minute.

You can also start celebrating by having a holiday dinner with your family or friends—even if it's just a few close people. Perhaps you can watch one of your favorite movies from childhood. If you're spending time with friends who aren't feeling festive yet, try your best not to let them dampen your spirits. Try to stay positive and enjoy yourself.

Create new meaningful traditions

Create new meaningful traditions. In a world where the Christmas season feels like it has taken over our lives, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed and exhausted by all the things that are happening. If you find yourself feeling this way, try to take some time out of your busy schedule during December to create some new traditions for yourself and others in your life that aren’t so centered around presents and food. Maybe you want to start volunteering at a local homeless shelter with your family or friends on Christmas day; or spend time with people who don’t celebrate Christmas; perhaps even just sharing some hot chocolate on Christmas Eve could be enough for now. The point is: don’t let Christmas become about shopping, gift giving, eating and watching movies until midnight every night; find something meaningful that brings joy into your life!

Make time for gratitude

We often take for granted the many things we have to be thankful for. We get so caught up in our own lives that we forget to appreciate what is truly important in day-to-day life.

It’s very easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas, and soon you’ll find yourself forgetting what it is that makes this special time of year so great. The best way to avoid this is by taking some time out of your day—even if it’s just 5 minutes—to reflect on all the things you are thankful for.

Don't overdo your favorite activities

As you plan your Christmas routine, make sure you don’t overdo it with your favorite activities.

• Get enough rest. Many people are going to have a busy time around the holidays. It can be tempting to stay up late or get up early to do more things, but this will only leave you feeling exhausted and less joyful when the day is done.

• Don’t shop too much. It might seem like a good idea to get lots of presents for everyone in your family so they all have something new under their tree, but if you overdo it with shopping then this will add stress onto your life rather than making it easier for everyone involved! Plus there are plenty of ways for people to be creative with what they already own instead of constantly buying new things just because society tells us that we should have everything we want at all times (which isn't realistic).

• Don't drink too much alcohol or eat too much food either! Eating too much during any meal can make us feel miserable afterwards which means we won't be in good spirits while spending time with loved ones either--and that's why eating healthy foods throughout each day is important as well as eating less junk through the holiday season.

Take breaks and have fun

Make sure to schedule little breaks in between all the hustle and bustle. When you are feeling overwhelmed, it's important to take a moment for yourself and do something which makes you happy. Take a walk, enjoy a hot cup of cocoa or tea, read your favorite book—whatever makes you feel relaxed and joyful.

Try to have fun with friends and family. The holidays are an excellent time to spend quality time with loved ones because they are often busy working during other times of the year. This is also a great opportunity to make new friends by reaching out to neighbors who may be going through similar challenges as you are this holiday season.

You can have a joyous holiday this year!

It's easy to get caught up in the chaos of holiday season, especially when so many people are going through difficult times. However, you don't have to let it bring down your mood.

Focus on the positive. Think about the good things in your life and what you're grateful for, then share them with others. This will help you shift from negative thoughts to positive ones which will leave you feeling more joyful and connected with those around you this holiday season.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to spend with family, friends and loved ones. However, sometimes it can be hard to feel joy in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. This is why we created this list of simple tips that will help you create more joy in your life. Whether you are looking for some new ways to enjoy yourself during the holiday season or just want some guidance on how to make your next Christmas special, these tips will give you more happiness in every aspect of life. 

If you’d like to read more about topics connected to wellness & well-being, please check out some of our other articles:

• Mindful Mornings: The benefits of an offline morning routine

• Simple Self-Care Checklist

• 5 ways to get through a Blue Christmas

To learn more about Mudita, take a look at our website and our other posts.