The holiday season is usually a time to deck the halls, feel jolly and gather with family and friends. Unfortunately, the stresses of the season - buying presents, preparing holiday feasts and playing host to family and friends - can make the holidays anything but merry! During the hustle and bustle of this hectic time of year, women often feel responsible for making the holidays perfect. This can leave you feeling overwhelmed and pressed for time, stressed out and exhausted.

Still, it's possible to recapture the meaning of the holiday season and make it truly enjoyable for you and your family. Try these survival strategies and you too can rejoice in a stress-free and meaningful holiday season.

SET REALISTIC GOALS IN LINE WITH YOUR FAMILY VALUES - the pursuit of the perfect holiday gathering can leave you feeling let down if your celebration doesn't live up to your expectations. I recall a client, a busy mom of three children, who insisted on continuing a long-time tradition of putting up and decorating three Christmas trees each year in her moderately-sized home. I suggested that we ask her family if it was essential to them to have three Christmas trees in their home in order to enjoy their holiday. They unanimously shared that three Christmas trees was their mom's idea, and that it was much more important to them to enjoy time with their parents than the number of Christmas trees they put up. This is an excellent example of how important it is to keep your goals and expectations realistic.

DON'T PROCRASTINATE - last-minute shopping may save you some money, but the headaches, extra time and stress you'll experience from fighting the crowds aren't worth it. Make lists and accomplish your goals by a certain date so you can relax and truly enjoy the holidays.

KEEP IT SIMPLE - Meals don't have to be elaborate to be wonderful. After several years of trying, I finally convinced my mother that we didn't need fine china and polished silver to have a wonderful holiday together. After she stopped this elaborate tradition, we had more stress-free quality time with her, which was much more important than eating on (and hand-washing) fine china.

Suggest that your guests lend a hand and bring a side dish to the festivities. When shipping, choose simple, thoughtful gifts rather than lavish expensive ones.

HAVE A PLAN - BUT GO WITH THE FLOW - Holiday traditions evolve over the years. While you may be disappointed if you can't quite re-enact the exact celebration of yore, learn to go with the flow so you can find happiness in creating new memories with your family.

STAY HEALTHY - You can't truly appreciate the holidays if you're exhausted and worn down with too much food, drink and too little sleep. Be mindful of your physical and mental well-being during this hectic time.

TAKE A BREAK AND BREATHE! - Try not to spread yourself too thin. Setting boundaries and learning to say no is never a more important skill to exercise than during the holidays. Remember the true meaning of the season and only attend the holiday activities and family gatherings that you enjoy and set aside some time for yourself each day. You should be as good to yourself as you are to others.

Copyright (c) 2008 Simplified Spaces