Everyone acknowledges that the holidays are a stressful time. There’s food to prepare, gifts to buy, decorations to put up – no need to continue? By the day after Christmas, you’ll likely be checking the calendar to see what day the kids return to school. But you can actually enjoy the holidays by giving yourself permission to relax. In this way, you can focus on what’s important: yourself and your family.

A little pre-holiday planning ahead will go a long way to helping to reduce pressures. When coming up with holiday gift ideas for yourself, don’t be shy to put down a few of your favourite things: gift cards for a bookstore (where you can leaf through magazines while sipping a latté), a pedicure or manicure, a hair cut and blow dry at a salon, a makeup session, or a visit to a spa for a massage or special treatment. What about movie passes: when was the last time you went to a local cinema to see a grown-up movie?

Fitting in exercise or workouts during the holiday schedule will go a long way to reducing tension and taking your mind off your great Aunt Minnie’s lecture on how she raised her six children. Perhaps you can workout at home or if you prefer to go to the gym, steal a little extra time there and visit the steam room or hot tub.

Perhaps you can set aside a little time for a walk around your neighbourhood; check out the holiday lights at night. Drive to a nearby park with walking paths and take advantage of a little ‘anonymous’ time. Speed-walking will help you burn off some calories from that extra helping and the fresh air will reinvigorate your body and soul. Maybe you want to get the kids out of the house while learning a life skill? Check out Mess For Fun for ceramic classes open to all ages and tap into your creative side while the kids burn off some steam.

Encourage them release their inner chef and learn cooking basics at The Chef Upstairs. During the school break, a five-day camp, called “Kids in the Kitchen”, provides hands-on cooking classes combined with lessons in healthy eating habits and kitchen safety.  Each day kicks off with making a “smoothie”, learning the daily menu and then setting off to neighbourhood stores to shop for fresh ingredients. With any luck, your child will make you dinner!

The main thing to remember is one little word: ‘no’.  Decide how much is too much. Remind yourself that the holidays are about enjoying yourself and your family, and giving to yourself too.