4 Ways to Embrace the Holiday Season Just for starters, step back and S-L-O-W down.

The holiday season is a time of rushing -- to buy gifts, finalize plans with family and friends and rush to meet yearly goals. Despite all this running around, I believe December presents a great opportunity to reflect, slow down, step back and get refreshed and ready for the year to come.

Related: Savvy Ways to Survive the Holidays

As work slows down, the holiday season can give entrepreneurs more time to focus, reflect and recharge. Here are a few ways to embrace the holiday season this year.

1. Embrace the slower work space.

During the holidays, employees and customers tend to adopt a holiday mindset and take time to relax. This is the perfect time to also take a much-needed break and de-stress from the busy year.

A lighter schedule also brings opportunities to better connect with colleagues. Treat hard-working teams to lunch or happy hour, and enjoy office festivities. Finally, genuinely relax and have a good time with your team. Talk with employees about subjects other than work. Forget the stress and never-ending to-do lists, and allow for time to slow down and enjoy the season.

2. Step back.

The clock is ticking, and there are likely still unmet annual goals. Business leaders are driving themselves crazy trying to reach quotas at the last minute. But instead of trying to make up for lost time, you might simply reflect on the results from this past year. Take a step back and look at the whole picture. Which goals were reached? How? Why were unmet goals not achieved?

Analyze strategies used during the year to see what worked and what needs improvement. Then set new goals and create a plan for how they will be achieved. Use this analysis to determine which strategies will be the most successful and which new tactics should be tried.

Related: How to Banish Holiday Stress

3. See loved ones.

Use this time to get together with family and friends, and enjoy the season. Stress can easily dominate thoughts even outside of work. And it's difficult to let go of work concerns with a phone constantly buzzing with emails and calls, and a computer or tablet within reach.

Leave work behind and disconnect from technology to focus on time with loved ones.

4. Participate in giving.

The holiday season is a time of giving, and more organizations are getting in the spirit. In a poll published by SHRM in November, 82 percent of HR professionals surveyed said their organizations were participating in charitable donations and drives at the end of the year and during the holiday season, up from 74 percent in 2012.

So, get into the holiday spirit and give back! Take up collections for toy and coat drives, give money to a local family in need or donate to other community causes. Take it a step further and participate in service events and projects. Serve holiday meals at a shelter or find other activities and events that resonate with the company mission and values.

Generosity brings happiness to both the receiver and the giver, so partake!

How do you embrace the holiday season? Let us know in the comments!