Deck the Halls with friendship and creation to banish the blues for the Holidays.

The Holidays can be tough for many people. Some people feel they should be happy, but they are not. The more they try to force a happy mood, the worse things feel.

Happiness is not about blindly pretending everything is OK when it is not. Rather, happiness is about making the most of what you have right now. Choosing to focus on what is good more than we focus on what is bad lengthens our lives, improves our creativity, and makes us more attractive to others. As Dr. Andrew Weil, leader in integrative medicine, points out in his new book, Spontaneous Happiness, we need only feel positive and contented to get these benefits, not delirious with joy.

Often, just making this small shift in expectations from seeking joy to seeking contentment is enough to shift our mood from distress to hope.

It is no coincidence that we celebrate holidays that focus on love, light, hope, and joy during the dark time of year when the days are short and the nights are long. It is part of our human DNA to band together with others to raise our spirits and our level of comfort. Scientists have tracked the spread of happy moods through social networks and found that happiness is as contagious as any virus. Be open to the holiday spirit and let it carry you along towards contentment.

The lights and glitter of the season symbolize the real valuables; the ones that money alone cannot buy. No matter what your financial situation, your holidays will be brighter and more memorable when you focus on the real values- beauty, truth, friendship, love and creation.

So this year, let yourself be carried along in the holiday spirit. When you start to deck the halls, take time to spend time with friends and loved ones. Take time to sing and dance and laugh. Take time to create something beautiful. You will enjoy the season more.

If you do choose to purchase gifts, remember that studies have shown that money can buy happiness in three ways; when you spend it to make a positive difference for others, when you purchase happy experiences, and when you purchase tools that help you build happiness skills for a life time. See our holiday gift guide for recommendations on how to double the happiness from each of the gifts you buy. In fact, a gift from Happy Life U triples your happiness because all the proceeds from these sales go towards keeping free, high quality, happiness information on line.

And remember to…

Deck the Halls with friendship and creation to banish the blues for the Holidays.