I'm hearing how stressed people are getting about xmas. During "normal" times the festive season can be a time of overwhelm & pressure. The burden of expectation to be happy and everyone to have a perfect day...then this year we add into the mix the extra layer of anxiety around being in the middle of a pandemic & keeping everyone safe. Think about your best memories... usually they come from the silly unplanned moments when you relaxed and went with the flow. YES - certain things need to be planned and organised but leave space for those magical spontaneous moments. Even when things go wrong or not quite how we planned in our minds we can still have a good time. When you start to feel overwhelmed or stressed out take a few moments to center yourself with some breathing exercises. Notice what thoughts you are having and aim to ground yourself within the present moment. Although we may not be able to celebrate in person with everyone we had hoped to, think about ways to use technology to stay connected. Use phone calls or video calls to open gifts together, watch a Xmas film at the same time and have a hot chocolate and chat about it after. Take a walk outside and look at the neighborhood lights...the magic is still all around us we may just have to look a little harder to find it.
Sarah
