This time of year is the season of Holidays. With Christmas and New Year’s approaching it is easy to get lost in excessive busyness.

Perhaps you are worried about staying calm through the upcoming holidays with meal preparation, shopping, gatherings, traveling, or the other hundred things that need attention.

When we get overly busy, we feel like we are out of control. All we want is for it to stop. But how? BALANCE is the key! We desperately need order and peace, not only during the holidays but every day.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I find myself too busy, I lose my focus on what is important until I start practicing balance again.

I learned the balancing lesson the hard way. Unreasonable tasks caused me such anxiety that I would lash out at my loved ones. It also took its toll on my health. After years of an overly packed schedule, I realized that my lifestyle needed to change. Now I limit the busyness of my days by cutting back on activities and I am learning to say no more often.

Here are three helpful tips to soften stressful holidays.

1. Live a Well-balanced Life

No one person can avoid stress, but balance brings peace. The Hebrew word for “peace,” shalom, is often used in reference to an appearance of calm and tranquility. Slow down when you are running on empty and find ways to seek a well-balanced schedule.

2. Bless Others

You are considered financially rich among nations if you have a roof over your head and food on the table. Try buying a few bags of groceries and dropping them off at a food bank or leave at a neighbor’s door who cannot drive. Loving others give us a sense of meeting needs instead of being busy.

3. Change your lifestyle

Changing a busy lifestyle takes self-control and awareness to improve. I am not sure what your daily schedule looks like, but I do know this: How we choose to live matters.

A well-balanced life is essential for personal effectiveness and healthy living. May your holidays be filled with joy, peace, and balance.