Not sure how we got here so fast, but so slow at the same time… but it’s December! With one holiday of holiday season behind us, and another quickly approaching, we thought we would leave you with a couple tips to remember so you can make the rest of holiday season as stress-free as possible!

Whether you are seeing some family this year, or you’re spending your days at home with those in your household, here are a couple of tricks to making the holidays as smooth, but joy filled as possible:

1. Have a plan. What will you do this year for Christmas? Will you see family, will you stay home? A lot of times the stress lies within the unmade decision. Make your decision and stick with it. If you’re going to see family, make that plan and go with it. If you are going to stay home, make a plan for what that looks like for you.
2. Make everyone aware of what your plans are. Just as much as a plan on your end makes a difference for your anxiety and stress, making sure everyone knows your plan so people aren’t thrown off guard when you don’t show, or you do show.
3. Make an effort to slow down. No matter what you do, this is the time of year to slow down and remember what it’s all about. This involves counting the many things you’re thankful for and taking time to appreciate them.
4. Surround yourself with the spirit. No matter what your budget this year, you can do several things to make sure your home smells and feels like Christmas. Here are a couple of budget-friendly ways to add all the holiday feels to your home:
   1. Smell it up! In the best way of course. You can find holiday scents and Christmas candles no matter where you look. Buy one or two and enjoy the aroma as it fills your home. Another thing you can buy are soap scents that leave your hands smelling like the season. Who doesn’t feel happy when they smell cheer?
   1. Throw those pillows! We mean decorative pillows of course! Target has affordable Christmas pillows that you can add to your couch or bed. These are cheap and easy ways to change up your décor for the season.
   1. Mugs make great décor. This is something that many don’t often think of, but mugs can be used for your morning coffee as you sip in the goodness, but can also look good on your coffee table, or in your tv stand for decoration as well.

We hope you had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving and we truly hope the best for you and yours during the rest of holiday season. Try these tips and we hope you will have a stress-free Christmas holiday!