Here are some tips and ideas that might just help you and your family to have a relaxed, calm and peaceful Christmas.
Expectation; a lot of our stress and worry at Christmas is due to our expectations or image of how it should be. If we can accept things as they are rather than how we think they should be, life often becomes much easier. If you find it difficult to accept the difference try and see where your belief of how it should be come from and ask yourself is it really true?
Why?; reminding yourself of the true reason why you are doing something can often remove the pressure that you feel to do it.
Keep Hydrated; when we are out of routine we often drink less water, when we add to this that we may also be consuming more alcohol and more sugar then our body will really need a lot more extra water. Not drinking enough water can leave us feeling anxious or irritable this is also true for children.
Take Time; Pause and breathe, it doesn’t need to be for a long time. Just regularly stopping to take a few deep breaths throughout your day can help you to slow down. – Remember prevention is better than cure.
Have some family massage time; Story massage is a lovely way to get children involved in relaxation techniques. One of my favourites for this time of year is the Reindeer massage. Everyone has a partner or sits in a line (partners are better as it means you can relax while receiving your massage)
Let’s pretend we are getting the reindeer ready for Christmas night
Brush the snow off – Gently use your hands to brush down the back of the person in front.
Wash the reindeer – pretend you are using some soap and give the person's back and arms and head a good scrub.
Dry the reindeer – use your hands flat on your partner's back and rub pretty fast so that it feels warm.
Sprinkle some magic flying dust – use your fingertips and gently sprinkle on their back.
Finally, sprinkle feelings of love peace and happiness over the Reindeer so they can spread them to the whole world on Christmas Eve.
Switch Off; Turn off all electronic lights, devices, TVs etc and sit in candlelight listening to some gentle music – even 5 mins could make all the difference.
Count Your Blessings; one of my favourite things to do this time of year is to use my Christmas Tress as a gratitude tree. I take some time as often as I can to sit still looking at the lights on the tree and for each light, I focus on something or someone that I am grateful to have in my life or an experience that I have had this year that I am grateful for.
Aromatherapy; for many of us one of our favourite things at Christmas is the smells, whether it is the food or the fragranced pine cones or the candles. When we use Pure Essential oils like Cinnamon, clove, orange and Frankincense not only do we get amazing aromas but we can also benefit from the therapeutic properties. You can order here the aromatic limited edition seasonal blends from Neals Yard here: https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/joannecallan/area/shop-online/category/limited-edition/
I hope these will be helpful over the holidays and remember if you are really finding things difficult reach out for support and share how you are feeling with someone you trust.