After the buzz of being a kid at Christmas wore off, somewhere in my late 20s, I started to bristle at the idea of all the frivolity in the heart of winter. Probably at that age I tied it into my disdain for the over-commercialization of America but now I see it as a deeper malaise.

Now that another decade (or so) has passed and I have the great pleasure of sharing my life with someone who loves the moniker “Captain Christmas” I’m looking deeper into my supposed distaste with all things holiday. I’ve come up with 8 ideas that can help you not only recover from a holiday hangover, but help you set your sails for a more rejuvenating season next year.

1. Allow yourself to be okay with whatever you feel. Most feelings come and go with ease. Unless we try to ignore them or force them. As you start a new year make a practice to be okay with whatever it is that you’re feeling right now. Feelings are neutral, it’s simply our judgments about feelings that can get our knickers in a twist.
2. Ask for what you need. It’s not selfish to ask for a few minutes (or hours or days) of downtime if you need it. Wouldn’t you encourage your best friend or child to take care of themselves if they were fighting a cold or flu? Why not treat yourself like someone you love?
3. Seek counsel if you need it. There’s nothing weak about asking for help. Whether it’s asking another parent to share the car-pooling responsibilities or asking a counselor, pastor or other trusted confidante to listen. When you take time to ask for what you need, you become stronger and a more capable role model.
4. Stop ‘faking it.’ No one believes you’re Martha Stewart anyway. If you hate homemade crafts and cookie baking that’s perfectly fine. If you love dressing up in your holiday attire that’s awesome too. The bottom line is there is no need to pretend to be anyone else but you. Your friends and family love you. I promise the world will not come to an end if you don’t make a single batch of cookies or mail out 800 cards to everyone you know.
5. Create traditions that work for you and yours. When the kids are tiny it’s pretty easy to mold them into tiny versions of you. When they get older they may have some strong opinions on traditions and recipes they’d like to bring into your clan. January is the perfect time to sit down as a family team and talk about what you loved and what you didn’t love about the recent season. Create lists and plans for what you all wish the next holiday season looks like. This gives every member of the team a role and a responsibility, and with 11 months to plan, there’s no rushing around at the last minute to make things perfect.
6. Sleep more. The winter season is a time of rest and rejuvenation. While the holiday season represents the bringing of light into the new year, there is still a call to the hush and stillness as we each expand our roots and energy underground. Take a hint from Mother Nature and rest as much as possible. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy, it means that you’re keeping with a sacred tradition. Honor yourself as you go within and be prepared to start dazzling in the Spring as the new buds begin to blossom.
7. Nourish yourself. If this is the time of year you usually banish yourself from having sweets, and swear you’re finally going to drop 10 pounds, take a different approach. This is the time of year nourish, not condemn yourself. Your body needs love and attention in the best possible way. Ask yourself what choices are most nourishing as you approach your new year. When you choose to consciously support your body, rather than challenge it, you’ll feel better all around.
8. Resist the temptation to go with the crowd. If everyone you know makes resolutions or eschews goal-setting it’s okay to do the opposite. If goals spur you forward, work with it. If you hate the idea of making a big vision board full of pretty pictures, don’t do it. Create a new process for setting your intentions (or not) for the new year based on your strengths, not your perceived weaknesses.

Pick one or more of these points to lean into 2015 in a way that speaks to you, and you might just be amazed at how relaxed you feel by NEXT year!

Written by: Peggie Arvidson