Busy moms can feel especially overworked and overwhelmed during the busy holiday season. Here are 3 mindfulness exercises to help you boost your spirits so that you stress less and experience more joy this holiday.

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Thanksgiving time is here again, and that means that Christmas and New Years are not far behind…

Even though it seems like yesterday that I was finding empty Halloween candy wrappers in my sons’ back pockets, I’m starting to see homes in my neighborhood with their Christmas lights up already almost to say:

“Let’s get the holidays over and done with already… We don’t have all day!”

If all this rushing and hurrying about has you stressed out and frazzled, you’re not alone. There were days when my kids were little, when the holidays would fill me with dread and not joy.

But during my home simplification process, I learned how to incorporate the following 3 mindfulness exercises to fully enjoy my holidays without rushing through it and feeling stressed out afterwards.

I’m hoping that by sharing them, you’ll enjoy every moment of this holiday season without feeling like you’re missing out or feeling stressed out.

3 Mindfulness Exercises to Have More Joy

#1: Count Your Blessings

One of the first U.S. history lessons I enjoyed learning as a kid, was the story of the Pilgrims and how we came to celebrate Thanksgiving.

As Linus from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (one of my family’s favorites!) reminds humorless Chuck: 

“Ours was the first country in the world to make a national holiday to give thanks”.

Yes, indeed.

But giving thanks should be something we do all the time and not just one day out of the year. The reason why is that studies show that those who live with an attitude of gratitude are far happier than those who don’t.

So don’t allow the holiday rush make you miss out on what makes your everyday extraordinary.

Use the following exercise to help you maintain an attitude of gratitude now, during and even after Thanksgiving.

The 3, 3, 10 Gratitude Exercise

1. Set a timer for 3 minutes and jot down 10 things that you’re thankful for right now. 
2. Once completed, set the timer again, for 3 minutes to write down another 10 things you’re grateful for.
3. Set the timer again for 10 minutes to review your list and give thanks audibly or silently to yourself (or in prayer) about these 10 items you’re thankful for.
4. Do this exercise routinely for the next 30 days (preferably at the start of your day) and enjoy how much more peaceful you feel.

#2: Build Excitement

In the same way that thankfulness is not something that happens all by itself, holiday fun won’t happen without a bit of planning in advance. 

My youngest son and I, for instance, love watching It’s a Wonderful Life the day after Thanksgiving to prepare for Christmas every year.

Even though we’ve seen it multiple times, the ritual of seeing it once every year makes this event seem special. 

So we reserve time in our calendar and make some popcorn and make it a special family event–or at least until my husband starts snoring.

Sometimes my son and I enjoy planning the event more than we enjoy watching the movie.

Here are some other traditions our family keeps every year to build up excitement to lead up to Christmas:

• Do a Secret Santa drawing during Thanksgiving dinner 
• Use advent cards to prepare our hearts and minds leading up to Christmas Day (these have worked great for my family!)
• Make gingerbread cookies to share with our family and friends.

Take a few minutes right now to write down 10 or so activities that you and your family would enjoy doing together to build up excitement leading up to a particular holiday. 

#3: Work Together, Not Alone

Hosting family get togethers can be nerve wracking if you try to do everything all by yourself.

When I first started hosting Thanksgiving dinners for my extended family, I used to plan, shop and cook everything. From the turkey, stuffing, sweet potato and all the sides including 2 types of desserts, I did it all…from scratch…without any help. And then I collapsed afterwards.

I used to think that this is what my in-laws and my family expected from me.

But, of course, nothing was further from the truth.

It was only when, I took up my sister-in-laws’ offer to help me clean up after Christmas dinner that I finally understood how much more joy there is not just in giving but in receiving as well. 

After all, what would we have to be thankful for if the first settlers had refused help from the Native Americans? 

Whether it’s asking for help to wash the dishes, or requesting a certain dish for them to bring, ask for help.  You’ll find that there’s joy in receiving just as much as there’s joy in giving. 

Be Thankful Now

Lastly, be thankful for what you have right now instead of constantly going after an idyllic image of what you think the holidays should look and feel like. 

Because, when I was growing up, I always had to help out my parents at their shoe store, during the busy holiday shopping season.

This meant that instead of having a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas meals at home, my family and I spent our holidays hustling and eating at Chinese restaurants afterwards. 

This may be why for the longest time when my kids were little, I went all out to try and give them the holidays that I thought I’d missed out on.

But after having pulled out all the stops during the holidays only to feel completely spent (not to mention sick) afterwards, I’ve scaled back considerably over the years and found that doing less actually makes us feel more cheerful and joyful during the holidays and not less.

These mindfulness strategies are just one of few ways I use keep me feeling thankful and joyful all season long rather than feeling let down afterwards.

Appreciate the Beauty “That Still Remains”

So if you’re feeling rushed right now, slow down, breathe in deeply, and as you exhale slowly, remind yourself of all that’s good right here and now. 

I especially like to remind myself  that the holidays are NOT something I  HAVE to do but something I GET to do. After all, stressing about the holidays won’t make it any less stressful but being grateful about it will; It’s in the way you decide to think about it.

Happy Holidays!