I had to seriously reflect on the holidays this year and wondered if I would even get into it. Circumstances are very different with everything that is going on and the holiday season may just be adding on to the pile of external pressure that we are facing.

So I have prepared a Holiday Survival Guide with 14 tips that may contribute to make the season a little better. As I was recording the tips, it somehow made me realize that we have lots to be grateful for. The tips actually inspired ME and now: I am in the mood! It is official! And I am hoping the tips will also get you one step closer to a great holiday season.

This week, I started the countdown with 14 days of Christmas. Every day, I have been posting a tip of the day.

Here are the ones from this week, in case you missed them:

S: SERVE 

During the holidays, see if you can find a way to help others. See if you can find a way to serve less fortunate, or friends, or people that might be alone... or just give a hand to somebody that you know could use it! We don't need to go to a third world country in order to help people around us. 

Find a way that you can serve, because when you do that, everybody feels better. Your brain generates serotonin and oxytocin, the feel-good chemicals. You get this from giving, and the person that received also gets a shot. Plus, people witnessing an act of kindness also get a shot of oxytocin. 

Find a way to serve.

A: ACCEPT

Accept people how they are, accept who they are. Accept that people are just like that. 

During the holidays, we sometimes see people that we don't get to see as often as others. Sometimes, we anticipate a situation or a person getting on our nerves.

The next time this uncle is being the way that he is, just smile, have a good chuckle and say: "Oh, uncle Joe, you're just who you are. And I accept you exactly the way you are." 

It is what it is. Accept people for who they are.

M: MAINTAIN 

Make sure that, during the holidays, you maintain a healthy lifestyle and continue to do the things that served you throughout the year. Of course, I understand that when sometimes you're not working, because you have a couple of days (or weeks) off, it may not look as easy, but see if you can continue to maintain the things that serve you.

Maybe you want to continue to eat well in between the big traditional meals. You still can have the big meals. However, maybe in between, you try to maintain your good habits.

Keep following me on social media to find out the other 11 tips that will lead us to Christmas.

Check out some of my previous blog posts...