Have you been dreading or looking forward to the ‘C’ word???
Can you believe it? I can’t. Where has the time gone??? For me, it certainly seems to go faster these days and now it’s almost that ‘C’ word – Christmas.
Don’t you find that we usually fall into two opposing views (and sure anywhere in between). Those who love and are looking forward to Christmas, and those who are dreading it and wish it was all over before it’s even started!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
The Looking Forward Camp
The build up to Christmas can be awesome, fun and enjoyable. For those that look forward to this time of year, there are many reasons to do so, there is the:
- making of lists for presents and then the excitement of buying and wrapping them can be so uplifting as you want to choose (whether small or large) something the person will love
- going through your address list and realising who you’re still in real contact with
- fun of going out to different celebrations to perhaps unusual places whether at lunch or evening time
- enjoyment and sharing of perhaps food and drink you wouldn’t normally have
- meeting up with old friends and going down ‘memory lane’ or simply sharing whatever, eating and being merry is the agenda
- putting up and then seeing your Christmas lights
- loving how your home looks with decorations up and around
The Dreading Camp
For others though, anxiety, stress and overwhelm can come in with all there is to do and think about. You might have lists that gets longer and longer because you have to:
- buy presents, cards, wrapping paper, food and drink
- make decisions about who will you invite for meals
- who will you send cards to, and what will you buy for those in your life
- find the old decorations or buy new ones and put them up
- check on addresses in diary
- check on travel arrangements (road or rail closures over the holiday)
- attending of lunches or dinners or school plays (although the latter are usually heart warming)
- checking on whether you’ve got the right clothes to wear to these events
- stresses and strains of family interactions
- working out your plan for the activities to suit everyone
- clean your home for your visitors ………………
I’m exhausted just typing these out and I know you can add to my list!!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]STOP!
All, or some of the above, you have to do alongside the rest of your normal life, as well as the strain on your finances so I am inviting you to STOP and put it into perspective. Christmas Day itself is one day in the year – 24 hours in your life! I want you to have the best time you can so I am going to remind you of some simple tips:
- Delegate or have a simple family discussion on who does what
- Ask for help
- Keep your anxiety in check. This is a normal reaction and not untoward by any means.
- Ensure you get out of the house even on your own for a bit of fresh, cold (even rainy) air
- Plan in advance with your calendar or diary
- Do what you feel is right for your energy
- Treat it as simply an extra enjoyable Sunday with more trimmings
- Take yourself to a Restaurant
- Decide to sit around all day in your lovely new pyjamas (a gift to yourself)
- Apologise to yourself if you get OTT
- Reflect on the true meaning of Christmas whether you see it as a Religious Festival or not
It’s over to you. Your life is not just about working hard, pleasing others, and so on. You can choose to make this time a Special Celebration
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
Hibernation
Before I forget, remember that at this time of the year Nature is telling us to hibernate (that’s usually why I, and don’t know about you, am tired), and what do you usually have to do – be full of energy to deal with those lists above.
AND remember that Christmas can be a time of celebration and enjoyment or solitude and relaxation or both.
So it would seem like a good idea to take that hibernation whatever your view is and however you do it.
Here is my simple suggestion on how you can do this by allowing yourself some quiet time during the build-up and the day itself. This is done by closing your eyes, and become aware of gently breathing in and out, then place your right hand on your solar plexus and your left hand roughly at the same place on your back, and simply allowing that gentle breathing. Do this for a few minutes whenever you feel you are being caught up by the hype from the outside world. You can do it anywhere. You will be breathing into that place that says your life already has great richness in it and this is what you are giving and sharing with the world.
Whatever you do, and however you are celebrating Christmas or not, allow yourself to smile now and again as this fills your cells with the love you deserve.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” gutter_width=”3″ padding_mobile=”off” background_color=”#f9f9f9″ allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_margin=”|5px||5px” padding_bottom_1=”10px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”|10px||10px”]PS I read this somewhere and just wanted to add it – “What is Christmas? It’s tenderness of the past, courage for the present and hope for the future”.
PPS Have a look at my blogs on ‘Loneliness’ and ‘Hands Up for Hugs’ if you’ve not done so, as these are also part of the Festive Season.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”5px||5px|”] [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
