I have had an unusual number of people come into the store with depression this month. Are you one of those who are struggling to find JOY this year? Maybe it is the dreary weather, maybe it is too much stress, maybe it is the demands of family, or financial pressures. We all have things which can weigh us down and make daily life hard to face, much less try to put on the happy face for the holidays! If you are looking for a little natural help this season, I have some suggestions for you.

1. Simplify, delete, and cleanse! We overload our life with too many commitments, too much stuff in our homes, too many ideas in our heads, and too much sugary junk food. We simply don't have to say "yes" to it all. Give yourself permission right now to just say "NO, thank you". What can you eliminate from the calendar? It really is ok to spend the evening alone with a book! Give yourself spending limits, a simple homemade gift can be just as nice and maybe even mean more to those you love. Do you really need all of the decorations from the past 20 years in your house? Delete. If you don't love it, donate it to someone else and make their holiday brighter. Food, food, and more food, at every party! If you try it all, you will feel sick, you know you will. I suggest you pick one special goody to enjoy, and leave the rest. You won't feel deprived or overloaded or guilty, and you can plan to do a total body cleanse in January.
2. Take care of yourself! Stress can eat you alive. Try drinking a Cup of Calm tea, wonderful for settling down and it will help you sleep better too. Really feeling anxious? We have an herbal formula called Anxiety Free, which helps you to handle it all better, without the side effects of drugs. Make sure you are covering the basics in your diet with a good multivitamin and maybe some added B vitamins to help your nervous system.Extra Magnesium is also needed in times of stress.
3. Concentrate on giving JOY to others! Are you feeling grumpy in that long line at the store register? Give a smile to those around you. Is the family cranky and demanding? Put on some music to lighten the mood and use some essential oils in the diffuser to improve everyone's mood. If you are feeling sorry for yourself, find someone who has a bigger need and fill it. The holidays are all about giving to others. I was in Walmart a couple of weeks ago and I was feeling grumpy. There were 2 ladies ahead of me in line and one of them had more than 20 items. Ugh! The older and a bit confused lady in front of her had forgotten her credit card. So she said she would have to leave everything and come back later. The woman in front of me, the one with too many items, offered to pay for the older woman's purchases. She had to be convincing, because the first lady was a bit embarrassed. By the time it was paid for, I think everyone in line had tears in their eyes. Simple kindness. Sometimes we forget how much that can mean to someone.

I hope these simple, natural suggestions help you to have the best holiday ever! If you are out shopping and finding the stress is too much, stop by Healthy Life Solutions and have a cup of tea with me. Maybe all you need is a different perspective to find your JOY again.