Gift yourself calm this Christmas. If you’re counting down the days, ticking off to do lists and getting all caught up in the Christmas frenzy there may be a gift you’ve missed. Don’t panic. We’re talking about calm. It’s easy to forget that Christmas is supposed to be fun when you’re bogged down with the constant bombardment of how it should be and trying to make everything perfect. Take time out to reinstate your equilibrium by following our top 3 tips to gift yourself calm this Christmas.
Gift Yourself Calm By….. Getting Enough Sleep
It sounds like an obvious one but winter is the time of year when your immune system is under heavy fire from seasonal stress. Try and go to bed earlier to give yourself an uninterrupted, full nights sleep.
Create a sleep hygiene routine where you wind down for bed about an hour before you’re ready to hit the sack. Switch off your tech, induce in a soothing bath, enjoy a bedtime tea and decompress before you make that trip to the land of nod.
Deep sleep is when your body repairs itself and regenerates, going to bed before 10.30pm (when you can, you still have your party pass) will optimise your opportunity to get as much nocturnal rest and relaxation as possible.
Gift Yourself Calm &…. Meditate
Meditation creates the opportunity to make space for yourself. Find a quiet moment, sit down and just be. In this moment there’s nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Focus on your breath as best you can, seeing if you are able to follow it all the way from the tip of your nostrils, into the nasal cavities, down your throat, into your lungs and out again. See what you notice. Start with just a minute and build up the time you spend meditating from there.
And if you’re stressed whilst shopping? Wait until you’re standing in the queue feeling frustrated and notice those feelings. What are you feeling in your body? Are your hands clenched? is your breathing rapid? are your shoulders tense? What thoughts are popping into your mind? Notice without judging. What’s here, right now?
Yes, even the Christmas shopping queue is an opportunity to practice meditation.
Gift yourself Calm &…… Practice Gratitude
When we’re faced with an onslaught of adverts portraying perfect families at Christmas, it’s easy to compare yourself to an unrealistic commercial image. Perfectionism is the enemy of fun. And trust us, nothing is perfect, whatever those posts on social media suggest.
Known as self referential processing, we know from research that social comparisons can be harmful, leaving us feeling low and lacking. And why would we do that to ourselves? We’ve got a better idea.
Kick striving to the kerb and take time out every day to think of 5 things that you’re grateful for. Be specific. Really consider what you are grateful for each day in the run up to Christmas. Gratitude will shift your focus to the positive and help you to recognise what’s working rather than what’s not.
Whatever you’re doing this Christmas we hope it’s filled with love, peace and of course, calm.
Want to know more about wellbeing and calm? Check out our huge range of free resources.
