December can be a busy, hectic month with various holidays falling throughout. Some people may be looking forward to a particular holiday, while others dread the emotional ups and downs that sometimes accompany days that are set aside for joy and happiness. However you approach a holiday, it can be tiring and way too busy. So, what can we do to slow things down?

Journaling every, or most, days can get your thoughts and concerns down on the page and out of your head. It can clarify what you really want to do and maybe what you can bypass. If you just have to do something you don’t want to do, it can help you make peace with it. Think about the following writing prompts and answer one or all of them to help make your holidays more joyful.

What December holiday draws you in, and how can you stay calm and peaceful throughout the days and weeks leading up to it? And get through it? Hint: schedule some enjoyable activities that don’t involve the holiday that you really like to do. What are those activities?

What makes you happy about this holiday? Be sure to savor those thoughts.

Write about a memorable time from the past regarding this holiday, and enjoy it all over again.