Stress is the trash of modern life – we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.

~Danzae Pace

The song says “It’s the most wonderful time…of the year!” But why do so many of us feel it’s the most STRESSFUL time of the year? Presents to buy, sales quotas to make, 2010 Objectives to set, in-laws to keep happy. HELP! So what can YOU do to control the stress so that another day does not pass by without you truly enjoying it? Try these tips:

• Laugh- Laughter releases endorphins in the body and act as the body’s natural pain-killer.  Make it a regular part of your day. Then schedule time over the next week to be around people who will make you laugh. And who knows, you may not need the Egg Nog. Although they DO go well together!

• Set Boundaries- Choose to let some things go. Don’t say yes to everything and everybody.  You can only do so much!

• Don’t Freak Out on the Small Stuff- So many of the things that we get hung up this time of year just aren’t that important. We often focus too much time and energy on making everything perfect. But if we don’t smile, laugh and enjoy the season, none of those details matter.

So this week, as you prepare for the Holidays and year-end, keep asking yourself if you are happy. I mean REALLY happy. And if you aren’t, start removing the things that are getting in your way. Because the greatest gift you can give others this season is not wrapped in paper, but instead wrapped in a happier version of YOU.

Are you a person that just can’t relax on that family vacation because you can just feel the emails and voicemails piling up? Do you look more at the added work that will await you after vacation instead of the actual “work-value” vacation can have on you if you JUST LET IT! You see, there is a time for selling, managing, accounting, planning and delivering. And there is also a time to enjoy all the returns that those business things give you. Remember, you were not put on this earth only to increase the profits of your business, but to thoroughly enjoy the profits of your life. And while the profits of business often allow you to enjoy the profits of life, those earnings go wasted if they are not spent enjoying the gifts your non-work life gives.

So this summer, take time to ENJOY what you have earned through your hard work.  Grab a lemonade, find a tree, and just hang out with your kid, spouse or best friend. And watch how the value of that time far outweighs the value of your hard earned paycheck.