Prevent the Holiday Grinch from Stealing Your Joy

By Pat Heydlauff

“He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He hadn't’ stopped Christmas from coming! It came! Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling: ‘How could it be so?’ ‘It came without packages, boxes or bags!’ And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!’”

This incredible message from How The Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Suess is such a great statement on understanding how to approach the holidays. Christmas, Hanukkah and the holiday season are coming whether you are physically, emotionally and financially prepared or not. Accepting the fact that you have only so many resources, so many days left before the celebrations and only so much time for shopping and traveling will help you rein in stress and take control of what you can control.

Let go of everything else so you can enjoy the season and create your own joy-filled Who-ville Learn to proceed peacefully through the holiday season using Feng Shui principles as your guide? While the holiday season is busy it does not need to be hectic, harried or harassing. Enjoy the hustle and bustle while being in complete control of your world and your surroundings by eliminating the annoyed, aggravated and stressed out emotions.

Do the most important things first! Stop procrastinating, worrying and fretting: begin now! Organize your thinking, develop your plans and get the process rolling. Temporarily put aside all things that can wait until after the holidays so they don’t silently distract your focus while you are busy doing those things necessary for you to have a happy, successful holiday season. The larger the number of people counting on, the more carefully you need to plan and organize. Do it now.

Get in the mood! Play the music of the season. The holiday’s are filled with some of the most joyful uplifting and encouraging music ever composed yet it is relegated to a short few 30 days in our calendar year. Play it while making your lists, uncluttering your home, wrapping gifts, calling friends, entertaining and preparing special foods. Allow these wonderful sounds to permeate your heart and soul. Stress is nowhere to be found when the heart is joyful - and the music acts like the spoonful of sugar in Mary Poppins as she helps the medicine go down. The music clears the emotional and physical paths to creativity and productivity and delivers sweetness to the heart and soul.

Decorate, Decorate, Decorate! Unclutter your home now so there is ample room for holiday flowers, garland and decorations. Get rid of all of the stacks of stuff you’ve accumulated over the last 6 to 12 months – don’t just move it but actually look at it and either file it, store it or get rid of it. If you haven’t used it in 12 months do you really need to keep it? The more clutter free your home is the more stress-free, enjoyable and calm your holidays will be.

Make lists and check them twice! Make your list gift list today and carry it with you at all times so you can refer to it at a moment’s notice and purchase items as you see them or find them online. You will save time. You will also save money because you will reduce impulse shopping which is costly. As you check off each purchase you will smile and continue to eliminate stress. Make a food list too and buy those extra things that are not perishable over the next several weeks. Place perishables on a “buy as needed” list that includes the date an item is needed.

The world is filled with Grinch-like people, places and things that will distract you. How many of you have checked your text messaging or answered a call while reading this article? Stay focused. Focus isn’t just for the corporate corner office. Others are counting on you as much as you are counting on them so maximize focus to reduce stress.

No one lives in the perfect world of Who-ville, so controlling your stress-Grinch during such a busy time of the year is the best gift you can give yourself. Everyone is in a hurry and tends to have a short fuse when so busy including family members, friends and your boss – go that extra mile to communicate, stay connected and smile.

“‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps…means a little bit more!’” Grinch-proof your holidays to find joy.

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