It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle this time of year — there’s just so much to do! Before you know it, it’s January and you’re wondering where the holidays went. 

Has this happened to you?

Not this year!

If you’re wondering how to be present during the holidays, truly enjoy the season and not get overwhelmed by holiday stress follow these 5 simple rules:

Set a holiday intention. 

What is your favorite part of the holidays? What’s most important to you? 

Maybe it’s celebrating your faith, practicing gratitude, or connecting with friends and family. 

Maybe keeping up traditions that have been passed down for generations will help you be present during the holidays, like caroling around the neighborhood, baking your great-grandmother’s shortbread, or watching the ball drop in Times Square.

Maybe it’s decorating, or shopping, or watching your children’s faces as they open their gifts.

Whatever it is, focus on making that thing happen, and take it all in when it does.

Take it down a notch or two … or three. 

Between baking, decorating, traveling, shopping, wrapping, and visiting, December is always a busy month. 

Take a good, hard look at your to-do list and pare it down where you can. Give yourself the gift of time to actually enjoy and be present during the holidays! 

Is it absolutely necessary that you buy gifts for all of your colleagues? Is the world going to end if you don’t send out Christmas cards this year? Do you really need to bake that pecan pie from scratch, or is it okay to buy one from the store? (Spoiler: It is.) 

Be selective with your time (and energy!). Spend it where it matters most — even if that means curling up on the couch with a warm, coffee-flavored beverage and watching It’s a Wonderful Life for the 27th time, all by yourself. 

Stop and smell the fir trees. 

The holidays are a feast for the senses. Indulge them! 

• Put some cinnamon and clove buds in a small pan of water on the stovetop to simmer. Light a Christmas candle or take in the fragrant branches of a pine wreath.

• Listen to your favorite holiday songs. Revel in the sound of your family’s voices. 

• Enjoy your favorite Christmas cookies —  just don’t overindulge — and savor every bite. 

• Go for a drive and admire the Christmas decorations in your neighborhood.

• Put on a pair of flannel pajamas and some fuzzy slippers and wrap your hands around a warm cup of tea. Treat yourself to a mani-pedi or a luxurious bubble bath by candlelight! 

Put away your phone. Seriously.

You knew this was coming, right?

Resist the urge to reach for your phone and Instagram every moment. Take some pictures, sure. But then put your phone away — like, really away. Put it in your purse or in another room so you’re not even tempted.

Be present during the holidays; focus on your surroundings and the people you’re with. You can always post your favorite photos later! 

Not looking at your phone will also save you from comparing your holidays with others’. 

Embrace imperfection. 

Appreciate the people and places in your life — and yourself — as they are right now. 

Maybe you didn’t get all the shopping done in time. Maybe you’re missing someone who couldn’t make it this year. Maybe the holidays don’t turn out anything like you planned at all. 

It’s okay! The “perfect holiday” only exists in movies. (And on other people’s carefully curated Instagram stories.)

Celebrate the victories of 2019. Acknowledge the missteps, too, but don’t dwell on them. In a matter of days, you’ll have a fresh start. Until then, simply accept (and enjoy!) what is. 

Following these simple rules will help you be present during the holidays and make lasting memories with your friends and family. Enjoy!