Is hanging out with the family during the holidays tiring?

“Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year.” – Victor Borge

Family holidays (holy days) are happening right now (and every day). Many of us go out of our way to try and create a festive, joyous feeling for ourselves and our families during this special time. Others of us are buried in depression, debt and dread. I call it the DDD. It can all be too much on either side of this equation.

Remind yourself frequently that your body is your personal machine. Pay attention to what it’s saying to you. Nourish it, exercise it and protect it from harm, without exception. Teach the children.

Your mind is the boss of the nourishing the body process and command central of your emotions, good and bad, easy or stressful. Pay attention to the messages it sends to your body that create the ease or stress. Teach the children.

Here lies the true root all problems and stress: your thoughts direct your emotions which then communicate to the body and your life experience. Monitor your thoughts closely and cease them at every opportunity (unless you’re calling on them to fix a problem, do work, create something wonderful, etc.). Nip them. Teach the children.

A 2015 survey conducted by Healthline, a consumer health information site based in San Francisco, Calif. Sixty-two percent of respondents described their stress level as “very or somewhat” elevated during the holidays, while only 10 percent reported no stress during the season. Among the holiday stressors listed by respondents were the financial demands of the season, negotiating the interpersonal dynamics of family, and maintaining personal health habits such as an exercise regimen.

Here in the middle of the holiday season, I remind you again of the WONDERFUL remedy and creative, healing mantra Dr. Joe Vitale shared with us at the FROM PARENTING PAIN TO PARENTING PEACE World Summit called Ho’oponopono. He describes it in this clip from the interview.