The holidays are a special time to be together with our family and friends. They can also be a time of introspection....a time to reflect on what is most important to us in our life.

For some people, the holidays become rushed....filled with too many social events and not enough time to rest and rejuvenate. We feel out of balance. By taking a little time to ourselves, we can enjoy the holidays even more.

Here are five easy ways to help you have a memorable holiday season. They are:

1. Act on the Gentle Nudges Coming From Your Heart. 2. Ask Your Body What It Needs. 3. Slow Down. 4. Say "No" When Something Doesn't Feel Right to You. 5. Celebrate Your Life.

This article shares how you can use these simple ideas to enrich your holiday season.

Act on the Gentle Nudges Coming From Your Heart

When you have a feeling that prompts you to do something in your life, it may be an idea that brings joy to you and to others. We often ignore our feelings to take action or try something new because we are too busy or we are afraid of what other people will think.

One way to act on these feelings is to write them down. By carrying a notepad or journal with you, you can write down the insights that come to you during the day.

Having a regular time set aside to work with them each week helps you take new actions that can bring many wonderful opportunities into your life.

The holidays are a perfect time to reflect on what is important to you and to receive insights which can change your life. It can also be a time to let go of what is no longer working so that you can make room for the new. These help to make the next year of your life a joyful one.

Ask Your Body What It Needs

Your body is constantly giving you messages about what it needs to be healthy and in balance. This is especially important during the holidays.

Let's say that you are with your family at your brother's house on Christmas day. Everyone is in the kitchen preparing dinner together. You have the desire to take a walk outside.

The walk refreshes you and when you return, you have even more joy and feelings of wellbeing to share with your family and loved ones.

Giving our body what it needs during the holidays can be as simple as taking a walk or a short rest. This helps us to stay in balance and enjoy our family and friends even more.

Slow Down

With many holiday events on your calendar, you may want to give yourself a day to rest and rejuvenate. What would you enjoy doing? Would you like to hike, read your favorite book or receive a massage?

Say "No" When Something Doesn't Feel Right To You

When your calendar is filled with more social events than you want to attend, you may want to say "no" to some of them.

If you are afraid that you will hurt someone's feelings, you can let them know that you are taking some time for yourself during the holidays and will give them a call in the New Year.

Celebrate Your Life

Being grateful for what we have is one way to celebrate our life. It also helps us to receive more of the things which brings us joy.

Another way to celebrate is to keep a holiday journal and write down what we are grateful for and what we would like to create in the New Year.

Taking action on what we desire is an active way to be grateful. It helps us to accomplish our goals more easily and this brings joy to ourselves and to others.

Practicing these simple ideas helps you to have joy and balance during the holidays. You can also use them throughout the year to create continuing momentum for your activities and wellbeing in your life.

2008 Oshana Himot, MBA, CHT. All Rights Reserved.