As Christmas comes closer and December nears its end, it seems that everyone's stress levels are high, and no one is truly enjoying the holiday season. Rushing from store to store to get the perfect gift, stressing to perfect the decorations that adorn your home, and struggling to get all the cookies you volunteered to bake done in time, all contribute to the true spirit of Christmas getting lost. Here are five simple ways to get back to having a joy-filled Christmas.
1. Enjoy your surroundings!
While you are hurrying from Christmas pageant to holiday party and from shop to shop, take a moment to enjoy all the decorations you are sure to encounter along the way. In the midst of rushing around, we are focused on why traffic seems to be at a stand still. Sometimes we just need to look at what is around us while we are stuck at that red light that seems to take forever. And always remember "the prettiest sight you'll see is the holly that will be on your own front door."
2. Attend a Christmas production!
There is always a show to be swept away by during the holiday season. A church pageant complete with a choir, a humorous play, and a whimsical Christmas ballet are bound to take you from your stressful state to another story. You are sure to leave smiling and entertained after being reminded of the light-hearted side of the holiday.
3. Simply listen.
One of the things that people associate the most with the holidays is the music that comes with it. Whether you are listening through the radio, seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra play, or enjoying the group of carolers making their way through your neighborhood, have no shame in singing along. After all... 
4. Spend it with the fam.
It is a known fact that the holidays are better when spent with people you love. Christmas is a busy time, but it is also a perfect time to see all of your favorite people. So have a movie marathon and bake together; whether it be with your perfect sorority family, the best friends you've adopted to call your fam, or with parents and siblings who are patiently waiting to see you. Take the time to spend this special season with whoever you call your family.
5. Make it about someone else - give!
Our minds are often clouded at this time of year by the commercial idea of Christmas and all the extra things that are begging for our attention; before we know it we are focusing on all of our "needs" and have forgotten what this whole season is about. So take a moment - change your perspective and put the focus on someone else. Stay behind a few minutes and help your stressed co-worker, offer to study with an overwhelmed classmate, buy a meal for a stranger, make a Christmas shoebox for a child in need. Giving isn't about the amount of money spent, how grand the gesture is, or who sees; giving is about a humble heart with a positive attitude - and sometimes a little love and positivity is all someone needs.
