The holidays are officially here, bringing joy and good cheer. While this wonderful time of year comes with so much fun and merriment, it can also drive many of us to feel overwhelmed. 

This might be the first holiday season you’re spending in-person with your family, or maybe you’re hosting and anxiously planning for all the shopping, decorating and cooking. Perhaps you’re traveling and getting a bit nervous about the holiday traffic and crowded airports. 

Most of us are good people and enjoy making others happy. We like saying “yes” to what people ask of us and overall try to be people-pleasing. (After all, we’re human and want to be helpful and liked!) So, it can feel natural to drop what we’re doing, lose sleep, and turn our schedules upside down to accommodate others. 

The problem? Sometimes when we say “yes,” especially to the same people, again and again, we find ourselves doing things that don’t actually work for us, bending over backward, and ultimately feeling resentment, regret, and even taken advantage of. 

When life feels especially hard, or we’re just trying to get through the day, it can be challenging to see all the good that’s happening in our lives. Or worse, it can feel like there isn’t anything good.

You may already know the benefits that come from practicing gratitude (it boosts your mood and self-esteem, helps you experience better health and sleep), but even with all the good it does for your body, mind and spirit, during tough times, it’s easy to fall off the gratitude wagon…