\It’s amazing how busy we can get during the holidays. There are parties and shopping, and cards, and traffic and more shopping, and cooking. Our to-do lists can seem unending. Small wonder the holidays seem so stressful!

One of the quickest ways to get rid of stress is to get quiet, even silent for a bit. This means turn off the radio, TV and phone. Get comfortable… a cup of tea or coffee if you want. Now, just be for a few minutes. If your mind seems to busy for this, stay quiet for a bit longer. You can watch your breath go in and out, or mentally name the things you’re grateful for or just let your mind wander in the silence.

Even 10 minutes of quiet like this can go a long way toward lowering your stress level while restoring your energy. It’s a great gift to give yourself.