Give yourself the gift of YOU
Re-charge your energy to lower your stress and avoid living in the “red zone” during the holiday season. It is a must to schedule a minimum of ten minutes a day for yourself every single day to recharge your energy, even if only sitting down with a cup of tea.

Learn to let go
Throw that worn-out holiday to-do list in the nearest receptacle!
Instead focus your time and energy on planning fun activities with your children and special friends.

Start new traditions
To help move your life forward after divorce, it is important to start new holiday traditions with your children and family.Some of the new traditions could include engaging your children to reach out to a local charity or children\’s hospital and plan a daily “act of kindness.”

Focus on the positive
Start today with positive thinking and reduce those negative feelings before they overwhelm your state of mind. Pick a day to begin, and have your children identify one thing they are grateful for. Post the list on the refrigerator and let them add an item each day. A great way to start the New Year!

Be kind to Yourself
Do something special for yourself, especially during the holiday season. Go shopping and buy something just for you…not the children or the house.Plan an evening with friends or rent a movie and relax. Embrace the goodness of your spirit and decide that you control your peacefulness.

Joanie Winberg Founder of the Fresh Start after Divorce Community

Joanie is the Founder of the Fresh Start after Divorce community, author of Rising to the Top, A Guide to Self Development and hosts her own radio show called The Happy Wednesday Broadcast. She is also the Founder of the Happy Wednesday Foundation, whose mission statement is to provide a healthy lifestyle for all children, women and families through educational programs and affordable housing.