Joy to the Store: 5 Keys to a Happy, Sane, and Prosperous Holiday Season

The holiday season is just around the corner, a time of hustle and bustle mixed with joy and togetherness. It is too easy to let the stress of the holiday season overwhelm us and detract from the happiness and joy we are sharing with others. Here, author Tess Whitehurst offers 5 keys to a happy, sane, and prosperous holiday season.


For other ways to combat holiday stress, check out "Merry Blissmas: The key to a stress-free holiday" by Andy Baggott and "Enjoy A Ten-Minute Bliss Break This Holiday Season" by Kala Ambrose. 

---

For retailers, the holiday rush can be bittersweet. In other words, there’s the overwhelming stress on one hand (bitter), and the increased cash flow on the other (sweet). But you’re not just any retailer, are you? You’re a retailer that sells books for the body, mind and spirit. As such, you can employ some subtle energetic tricks to enhance the cash flow, curb the stress, and generally keep the merriness and good cheer flowing in and around your place of business. For example…

Let There Be (Himalayan Salt) Light
Lighting a lamp or candleholder made from Himalayan crystal salt promotes calm and serenity by curbing the excess energy generated by stress. In addition to bringing these benefits to you and anyone else who may be working at the store, this will soothe your customers, consequently enticing them to stay longer and peruse more thoroughly. You might place one near the cash register and/or in strategic places throughout the store.

Walk in a (Clutter-Free) Winter Wonderland
Naturally, you’ll have more stuff (i.e. inventory, paperwork, etc.) in your store this time of year. This means that it will be especially important to clear and organize. For your customers, this will help create the optimum shopping experience. For your staff, this will help facilitate efficiency and a sustainably positive outlook. Your clearing and organizing efforts may include:

• Shredding extra documents in the office and organizing the filing cabinets
• Organizing inventory
• Removing extras from the sale floor in order to clear the space for the items you want to prominently feature
• Making sure that customers can easily and comfortably meander through all the areas of the store
• Removing excessive items from around the vicinity of the front door in order to entice customers in and make the transition from outside to inside more uplifting and inspiring

(Mist) the Halls with (Essence) of Holly
Holly essence, the Bach © flower remedy, is especially appropriate for the dark time of year, as it helps keep the heart open and the spirits high. It also lends itself to the types of expansive and liberal holiday shopping habits that will bring prosperity to you, joy to your customers, and, eventually, happiness to the objects of their generosity. I suggest putting four drops of it in a mister of spring water along with four drops of Bach Rescue Remedy © (for general stress) and 10-20 drops essential oil of pine (for clarity, energy, and abundance). Close the lid, shake, and mist the store before opening and at intervals throughout the day.

(Clear the Space with) Silver Bells
To keep the energy in your store fresh and clear, to welcome in abundance, and to set the stage for a harmonious and successful work day, you might like to simply ring a bell or a chime before opening the doors in the morning. As you do so, you might move throughout the store and envision your intentions for the day traveling outward with the sound, infusing the space with their vibrations.

(Invite in the) Good Tidings
Then, once you do open the doors, I suggest standing at the threshold, facing out, and saying a quick invitation to abundance and blessings of all kinds. For example, you might like to hold your arms slightly away from your body, palms facing out, close your eyes, and say or think something like:

We are open to blessings and abundance.
We welcome in positivity,
We welcome in joy,
We welcome in a happy and prosperous day,
And we give thanks for our infinite good fortune.

Tess Whitehurst is the author of Magical Housekeeping: Simple Charms and Practical Tips for Creating a Harmonious Home and the very soon-to-be-released Good Energy Book: Creating Harmony and Balance for Yourself and Your Home. Visit her at www.tesswhitehurst.com.