Ready or not, here it comes! Are you ready for the holiday season?

By Alison Greiner

The streets glisten with magnificent lights of red, green and gold.
The divine voices of carolers spring beams of sunshine onto the faces of both young and old.

The sweet smells of pine sashay from nose to nose.
The children’s cheeks glisten with the beauty of a rose.

Snow lightly cascades from the skies above,
as you innocently extend your tongue for a fresh, cool taste of nature’s pure love.

You meet eye to eye as your arm brushes that of a stranger.
Yet with all this exquisiteness, you still have feelings of stress, anxiety and anger.

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, tradition and love, yet many of us are consumed by stress. What can we do to eliminate the tension and experience the true meaning of the celebration? Implement some simple strategies to fuel your merry holiday season and let your celebration burst with laughter, gratitude and affection.

Have you made your list?
Have you checked it twice?
The average Canadian spends $741 on Christmas gifts, each gift costing an average of $68. Add holiday entertaining and eating to this and the grand holiday total for each Canadian is $1,300!

Before the holiday season is in full swing, sit down and plan your purchases by name and by paycheque. Setting a budget will prevent you from scrambling for the last gift with only a dollar to spare. Click here for a sample gift giving list.

More quick tips for holiday budgeting:

• Set spending limits with family and friends;
• Pull names from a hat so you don’t have to buy a gift for everyone;
• Shop around—don’t buy the first thing you see; and
• Compare prices—remember, you don’t want to get scrooged!

Delight with a homemade gift
Don’t feel pressured by the commercials, magazines and billboards promoting expensive gifts. Remember, it’s the thought that counts and the best things in life are free. Join the 33% of Canadians who make their own gifts.

Consider handmade goodies like a candle holder, a jewelry box or a potpourri container. A coupon book is also a great gift—especially for your hard-working mom! Simply craft a homemade book full of coupons with offers to wash the dishes for a week, clean the house for an hour, give a manicure (maybe a pedicure too!), dinner for two or a girls’ night.

A great gift idea from one child to another is to print off the Truestar Kids Food Fun and Games and create a personalized coloring book. Creativity has paved the way for many successful people; start your child down the path of creativity by making homemade gifts together and spark your own in the process.

Experience the true joy of giving
If you have not yet been touched by the gift of giving, I urge you to give the gift of gratitude and experience pure delight. As the season progresses, we should all be scoring 100% in the areas of morning gratitude, evening gratitude and giving on our SPTS Daily Score. There is much joy to be found in giving, especially when giving to those in need.

If you are away for the holidays, or time truly is scarce, make a donation to a charity; donate blankets, clothing and food to a local homeless shelter or sponsor a child from a third world country.

I had the opportunity to experience the joy of giving at a very young age. We arranged food and gifts in a festively decorated basket, brought them to the doorstep of a needy family, rang the doorbell and ran. For many years my family was on the other side of the door, opening it to a beautiful package of precious gifts which brightened our holiday both physically and spiritually. If you have children, this is a family activity that I would put at the top of your holiday “to do” list. The feelings, values and joy your children will receive from this experience will reside forever in their hearts.

Join me, and many other Truestar members, as we lend a helping hand at soup kitchens in our communities this season. For more details on getting involved in the Greater Toronto Area, email me at Alison@truestarhealth.com.

None of these suggestions requires a lot of time, energy or money, but each one possesses the power to change the lives of many—possibly even yours!

Enjoy the season
The Christmas season presents many engagements, errands and commitments. All of these activities are bound to cause stress if you don’t plan, prioritize and relax. Schedule your must-do items and be sure to set some time for family and personal time.

Spend some time relaxing: Soak in the comfort of a bubble bath as the warmth massages your stress and tension away! Close your eyes and escape to the beach with Truestar Mind Travel Meditation CDs. Just because you can’t take the trip down south doesn’t mean you can’t close your eyes and let your mind take you into virtual ecstasy. Rent a favorite classic holiday video, read children’s holiday stories or attend a concert.

Often, our expectations of the season are so high that when something goes wrong we get frustrated. Be realistic with your expectations—things are bound to take a path of their own, so find the positive in it.

The mind can only have one thought at any time. If you feel stress or anxiety, quickly close your eyes, take a deep breath and list all that you have to be thankful for. Visualize a needy child with tears of laughter and excitement as they open the gifts you sent their way. The power of gratitude is like no other.

Be sure to log on to Truestar each morning as we will feature many articles on healthy holiday eating, effective exercising, supplements for stress, weight loss and other holiday needs.

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