<h2>
	Adding happy back into your holiday</h2>
<p>
	Have you had a &ldquo;holiday moment&rdquo;? You know that moment&hellip; the one where you look at your calendar or bank account and have a little panic over what you don&rsquo;t see, like free time and extra money.</p>
<p>
	Our Human Resources team spoke with their colleagues around Brion Energy and realized a lot of people suffering from temporary holiday terror. But the holidays don&rsquo;t have to be a struggle against budgets, competing priorities, and that <em>one relative </em>you just don&rsquo;t want to see at the holiday dinner table.</p>
<p>
	If you&rsquo;re like most people, you&rsquo;ve probably read all kinds of wisdom on surviving the holiday season. However, with the help of Brion&rsquo;s Employee Assistance Program professionals, our HR group has put together a list of realistic tips to specifically help our employees get through the holiday season relatively unscathed. They wanted to share the list with you in case you&rsquo;re going through the same experience!</p>
<p>
	Let&rsquo;s face it: it&rsquo;s pretty unrealistic to expect to find balance in our lives at this time of the year. But there are ways we can take some pressure off ourselves and actually <em>enjoy </em>the holidays.</p>
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		<p>
			<strong>Save throughout the year. </strong>Ya, this isn&rsquo;t a new tip. But have you considered that a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a great way to save up throughout the year for the holidays? It lessens the shock of holiday spending and prepares you for the extra expenses like entertaining, decorating and shopping. Try using cash from your TFSA instead of credit cards. Many people don&rsquo;t realize how much they have spent until their credit card statement arrives. Using cash is a great way to avoid this and keep track.</p>
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		<p>
			<strong>Make a list.</strong> This might sound overly simplified, but it works. Write down everyone you intend to buy for and a spending limit per person. Then, after a trip to the mall, write down what you bought them and how much you actually spent. Not only is a list a great way to keep track of your shopping, it also gives you a great sense of accomplishment when you have checked everyone off.&nbsp;</p>
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		<p>
			<strong>Sometimes it&rsquo;s okay to say no.</strong> If you have a tendency to take on too much, learn to say no before you reach your maximum. Alternatively, find a few shortcuts if you can&#39;t resist saying yes. A colleague mentioned she stopped making all the cookies for the Parent-Teacher Association party from scratch &ndash; she bought the cookie dough that comes in the tubes and baked it. Nobody ever noticed!</p>
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		<p>
			<strong>Recognize which traditions make you the happiest.</strong> And don&#39;t be afraid to start new traditions if your family has outgrown old ones. It&#39;s easy to let a tradition take on a life of its own and forget what made it important in the first place. Ask yourself which traditions add joy to the season. Maybe you&rsquo;ll realize a holiday skating day with your family is means more than a day hunting for presents at the mall.</p>
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		<p>
			<strong>Clarify what you really need to do.</strong> Work can sometimes add to our stress as the holidays approach. There can be an understandable push to finalize a few pieces of work in order to start the next year anew. Take control of the situation as much as you can by working with you manager or supervisor to identify how best to use your time before the end of the year. Vocalizing your concerns and developing a plan can often help alleviate some stress, allowing you to enjoy your time outside the office even more.</p>
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</ol>
<p>
	Brion Energy&#39;s HR team wishes everyone a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. To learn about Brion, our projects, and current career opportunities, visit <a href="http://www.buildingsomethingbig.com">www.buildingsomethingbig.com</a>.</p>
