The Christmas season is all about nonstop movement. You race all over town with a list about as long as Santa’s. There are presents to purchase, decorations to lay out and food to be made. The hustle and bustle can be overwhelming and with everyone wanting the season to be absolutely perfect, stress builds up. It creeps around the corner and waits for something to go wrong. One light will go out on an entire strand, the cookies will be left in the oven a little too long or you forget to pick up a tie for your child to wear to the Christmas service. No matter the case, stress is unavoidable this holiday season. One technique that is sure to help you relax during all of this chaos is finding a happy place.

A happy place is a mental concept, something you associate positive feelings with. It helps you relax, find clarity, organize your thoughts, or just provides a way to escape everyday life. A happy place can also be physical place, somewhere you go that brings you peace. Below are some examples of people’s happy places. Hopefully, this helps you try and visualize what your happy place is if you are without one.

“When I was younger, I went to a camp for my ADHD called SuperCamp. While there, they taught me how to speed read and how to organize my thoughts. I was told to come up with a happy place to help me organize my thoughts when I was alone. So, I thought of the 100 acre woods. There were trees everywhere and a log I could sit on. The trees were surrounded by hills that enclosed a circular area. This is where I would go when my thoughts were overwhelming.” Michael Miller

“I have several happy places. One is if I want to stay in my room. I turn off the lights and lay on the floor in the dark. It relaxes me and is very nice. Another one is at North Greenville University, the college I attend. There is a secret pond tucked away on the campus. I go there and sit by the water and take in the atmosphere when I want to get away. The last one is the Furman clock tower. I lay under the trees. I go to these happy places when I’m bored, fighting with something, or depressed.” Brian Cordle

“I have two happy places. One is Edisto Island. Just crossing the bridge to get into the island brings back such warm memories of my son and niece as babies playing in the sand, reading on the beach with my sister, eating great seafood and enjoying cocktails while watching the sun go down. I don’t have a single bad memory from precious Edisto. The other happy place is my bed. It is my safe place. It’s everybody’s safe place – its where my babies would run when they were scared in the night, it’s where my dearest friends’ daughter would love to nap when she was home from college, it’s where my nieces have curled up to sleep when we have sleepovers. It is where I can laugh and cry.” Catherine Flagg

“I have a few happy places…the moment after you hear something funny but right before the humor fades away. Driving down the road listening to music. A reptile room. A beautiful scenic place in nature. The basketball court. Just places that say something about who I am and where I can find peace.” Ryan Burton

Happy places provide means of coping. This Christmas season, instead of letting all of the stress build up and get the best of you, develop a happy place. Keep the holidays jolly and all that good stuff.