It’s that time of year again.
Perhaps you're heartily venturing into town to seek out gifts while filling your calendar with meet-ups and big plans?
Maybe you're keeping it low-key and lining up some quieter, more gentle gatherings with a few bits of festive fun thrown-in?
It's also possible you might be someone who prefers to opt out of all of it and enjoy a turkey and tinsel free zone.
However you feel about this time of year, it looms large for many. Although it’s often portrayed as a time of great joy and peace, Christmas can also feel like a period of stress and overwhelm.
The pressure to meet expectations, the financial strain of travel, present and food-buying, and the emotional demands that Christmas can bring can really take a toll on our wellbeing.
If you’d like to navigate the festive season with greater goodwill to all (and especially to yourself), here are some tips to help you get through it:
Acknowledge your feelings
Feeling bah-humbug? Excited? Dread? If you feel it, acknowledge it and allow it.
Notice tension, notice sadness, notice joy. Let your thoughts and feelings be there, just as they are.
This might be a difficult time for you, or it might be a great time. All of your thoughts and feelings are valid.
Notice them, breathe and take a moment. Then see if you can bring your attention back to what you were doing. It’ll soon be over so cherish it if it feels good, and let the emotions come and go if it doesn’t.
Know your limits
You’re allowed to assert a boundary or take a step back!
Decide what’s truly important to you over the festive period and make doing that your priority.
You only want to stay for a few hours at your friend's house? You'd prefer not to discuss politics over the sprouts? You can make that happen.
Respectfully but clearly communicate your wishes. This might sound like “Thanks for the offer but I’ll only stay for a couple of hours as I need some time to recharge”, or “I’d rather not talk about politics right now. Let’s talk about…”.
Make time for you
Whatever self-care looks like for you, make time to nourish your body and soul.
Spending too much time around other people? Take yourself for a slow solo walk.
Feeling overwhelmed or over-stimulated? Try a non-sleep deep rest meditation like this one.
Missing someone?
The festive season can be a difficult time when a loved one is absent. It's okay to feel sad, angry, or lonely. See if you can allow yourself to experience these emotions without judgment and when you recognise sadness is there, give yourself some compassion and care.
You might like to light a candle in their memory or share a favourite story about them with others. Make time to do the things that bring you joy and find comfort in connecting with people who understand your situation.
You might even feel ready to create new traditions now that life is different from how it was before.
Manage your expectations
With so much hype and pressure about creating the ‘perfect Christmas’, it’s possible that this year’s celebrations might fall short of that.
Here’s a great article about how to let go of expectations and turn your attention to what you appreciate at this time of year.
Whatever the festive period is like for you, the next few weeks can be a great opportunity to set the tone for the year ahead.
By gifting yourself some love and care this Christmas, you’ll hopefully enter the new year feeling more refreshed and re-enthused than in previous years!
If you'd like to make a pre- or post-Christmas self-care plan, let’s talk about it together.
I warmly invite you to book a free 30-minute introductory call. You can click here to book an appointment.
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