Bring More Calm to Your Holiday Season

  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.  While our to-do lists tend to run long this time of year, be sure to put self-care at the very top this holiday season and remind yourself to breathe. The more joyful and relaxed you are, the happier everyone around you will be too.  Here are some easy ways to squeeze in self-care, so you can enjoy more and stress less:  Wake up early and do some “Gratitude Yoga.” We love this 35-minute gratitude-focused routine from Yoga with Adriene. Give thanks for your body with a healthy (and seasonal) smoothie. This one from Ambitious Kitchen is a personal favorite! You’ll fill up on nutrients and get a boost of energy, so you can handle whatever the day brings. Check-in with yourself. Are you feeling anxious about seeing your nagging relative, or are you stressed over what you’ll bring to a gathering? Take time to declutter your brain and write down what’s on your mind and any ways you can address the challenges. Just Breathe. Take a few minutes each day to do some deep, slow breathing. Especially if you notice your heart start to race. If you have more time, consider doing a 15-minute gratitude-focused meditation to relax you even more.  This time of year can be a lot. Be sure to be extra good to yourself this holiday season! With love, Emily and the EveryDay Happy Team P.S. Join us on Instagram to feel inspired, uplifted and for daily tips to create more joy in your life.  Feeling grateful for these Feel-Good notes? Now you can help us keep our notes ad-free by showing your appreciation with a tip. You can tip $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or any amount you want. Thank you for your support!    Quote du jour “You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights.” – Maya Angelou   Read and Listen to More Like This What To Do When You’re Feeling Burnout 7 Ways To Relax When You’re Not Used To It The Right To Relax 10 Signs It’s Time to Connect With Y-O-U Yes, Please, Thank You  

Latest Feel-Good Notes

Why it’s Time to Try Something New

Why it’s Time to Try Something New

How long has it been since you tried something new? 

Whether it’s walking into a new fitness class, signing up for language lessons, trying out a new hobby or activity, or even attempting to cook a new meal, breaking from routine and trying something new makes us come alive. 

Trying new things makes us step outside of our comfort zone (which isn’t always easy!). But doing so not only spices up our day, but reminds us of just how capable we are.

Why Boundaries Are a Good Thing

Why Boundaries Are a Good Thing

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 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. 

How to Get the Most out of Your Mornings

How to Get the Most out of Your Mornings

Do you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day? Or does your morning routine feel more like something you schlep through until you take that first sip of heavenly coffee?

Mornings set the stage for the rest of the day, and today, I’m sharing the best way I know how to set yourself up for a wonderful day. (And you don’t have to get out of bed even a minute earlier!)

How to Be Grateful When Life Feels Hard

How to Be Grateful When Life Feels Hard

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 around us. Or worse, it can feel like there isn’t anything good.

You may already know the benefits that come from practicing gratitude, but even with all the good it does, during tough times, it’s easy to fall off the gratitude wagon and to focus on everything you don’t have vs. all that you do.