The holidays are here. That sentence can be met with a smile or a groan. Or both. Yes, the holidays can be very stressful. Yes, they can be very joyful. The bottom-line is how do you view it?

There is a great deal of pressure put on people during the holidays, and social media only increases that pressure. As you go through your social media feed, you will see picture after picture of perfect holiday settings. The food is perfect. The decorations are perfect. The people are perfect. What you do not see are the broken decorations, burned food, and unhappy people that were all happening right before and after that picture was snapped!

There is no “perfect” holiday. Do not try to make yours look like the make believe that you see on social media. Stop now and think about what your top three priorities or traditions are for the holidays. Focus on those and only those.

Be sure to let the people that you love know how important they are to you. If you are fortunate to have enough money to pay for your housing and put food on your table, please consider a donation to an organization that helps those who cannot.

But mostly, for whatever you celebrate, please make it meaningful and peaceful