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Do you struggle with the “post-Christmas crash” once the holiday season is over? Please allow me to help by offering three tips for de-stressing after the holidays.

• Remember what went well—it’s so easy to say “I wish I’d been able to buy more” or “The tree wasn’t big enough” but why not focus instead on what went well over the holidays? Did your lonely neighbor make a new friend at your Christmas brunch? Was your daughter thrilled by the gift of her grandmother’s jewelry? Make a list of what made you sad and then run it through the shredder. There, it’s over! Now, make a list of the things that made you smile and keep it close to help you over the post-holiday hurdle.

• Practice gratitude—somewhere in the world there is someone who would LOVE to have a Christmas like you had this year. Make the decision to practice gratitude in each holiday situation. Cookies burn before the big party? Aren’t you glad you have friends you can call to bring more? Rained every day of your holiday trip? Wasn’t it fabulous to be anywhere else but at the office? Retrain your mind to be thankful, no matter what the circumstances. It makes you more fun to be around, and you won’t spend January counting your regrets.

• Examine your expectations—what was it you were expecting to happen that didn’t this Christmas? Was it a realistic expectation, or were you going for perfection? Sometimes our expectations set us up for disappointment. Allowing holidays to be less than perfect goes a long way toward alleviating post-Christmas stress.

It’s our goal, here at Holiday Assistants, to help each of you have a wonderful, stress-free Christmas. No matter how much help you have, though, your holidays may not be exactly as you’d hoped.

Help yourself avoid post-Christmas regrets by keeping things in perspective. With a little expectation control and a heart filled with gratitude for the good things, you’re going to be so much happier as you put away the ornaments this year.

Filed under: holiday tips