You deserve a HALT from the holiday frenzy


  • Pumpkin pie,
  • Aunt Mable
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Washing dishes
  • 4 a.m. shopping
  • More pumpkin pie


When it comes to the holiday season, overload is an American pastime. If you ask many Americans, they will tell you that while they like the time they spend with their family, they don't like what they perceive as the requisite activities. By the end of a what is supposed to be a day of experiencing gratitude for the non-material aspects of our lives, most Americans are exhausted, short-tempered, and ready for a second nap.

So are we obligated to drive ourselves batty in making sure we arrive at the mall parking lot before the sun rises. Our actions seem to say we do.

Maybe this won't be the year you will live up to your vow of simplicity for the holidays. That's okay. You can still monitor your sense of well-being by taking a short inventory of your physical and mental status.

Take a H.A.L.T.

  • Hungry
  • Angry
  • Lonely
  • Tired


If you feel any of those things, then be aware that any distressed emotion you are prone to experience will feel more intense. Tell yourself that the feelings will pass or at least alleviate when you

  • Feed yourself, 
  • Calm yourself,
  • Friend yourself, and 
  • Sleep yourself.


And when Jan. 2, 2018, rolls around, you can start the year with the resolution to
H.A.L.T.

  • Have
  • A
  • Lovely
  • Time

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