Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012.
Today’s question comes from Eleanor Traubman, Creative Times, @creativetimes on Twitter:

When January comes along, I look at people around me and notice that a lot of folks look spent – emotionally, physically, fiscally.   Seems like it can be traced back to the day after Halloween (used to be Thanksgiving) when the seasonal aisles at Rite Aid are loaded up with Christmas stuff – candy, cards, decorations, you name it.  The holiday music starts getting piped in through the radio and the gift-giving ads start popping up on the television.

No doubt, there are some lovely things about the holiday season.  It can be a time to spend with people, go to fun parties, enjoy pretty decorations, light the menorah, see the tree at Rockefeller Center, and eat yummy food.  But it also seems like this big tumble weed that runs roughshod over folks and kind of zaps us of our ability to stand strong and decide what really makes sense for us outside of pressures to buy this gift, go to that 14th party, travel at the most stressful time to travel, or eat or drink that thing that in the end doesn’t really make us feel all that great.

So I’m thinking it would be interesting to set up some intentions for ourselves as we enter this season so we have a better shot at setting our lives up so they truly nurture us and set us up to start the New Year feeling refreshed and energized.