It’s not easy to look forward to the holiday season when it feels like there is a lot left to do. The to-do list seems to grow and we end up feeling overwhelmed.

It’s hard to slow down and enjoy, but it’s really important that you do.

Imagine that stress is a bell curve. Too little, you’re unmotivated because there is nothing to do; too much, you’re overwhelmed that there’s too much to do. But if you can reach the center — enough stress to stay busy, but not too much that you feel like you’re drowning — you’re in good shape.

If you’ve been feeling like there is too much to do and the amount of things on your plate are weighing on your shoulders, you should do exactly what you don’t think you should do.

Relax.

Make time to do something that relaxes you. Try a breathing exercise or meditation. Try journaling or drawing. Do something that you enjoy everyday. Remember that you cannot pour from an empty cup.

It may result in making the stressors less daunting and more manageable. Don’t ignore the ever-growing pile of laundry — because it will not stop growing — but at the same time understand that it’s not going anywhere and can wait.

The things that happened yesterday aren’t going to change and the things that are coming up tomorrow don’t exist yet. The greatest truth is the present moment.

Slow down and breathe.