You can take back Christmas, yes you can! While the festive spirit is strong for many, it's not quite so fun for others. If you find the festivities pushing you to your limits, here's a few tips for your wellbeing this Christmas.
Set your boundaries
Establish what you need to be good to yourself this Christmas and make sure the people who you are spending it with know what those boundaries are. It's a good idea to think about how to compromise if you are spending Christmas with family or friends who have different ideas and boundaries to yours. There is nothing wrong with talking about what you need to do for your own wellbeing to ensure you enjoy Christmas or at the very least, get through it more on your own terms.
Manage expectations
Real life isn't like the movies and your Christmas doesn't have to be the perfect scene from a magazine. There is no need to push yourself to the limits because of someone else's expectations of Christmas. Manage your own and others to limit anxiety over what can be a busy and stressful time of year.
Perfection is overrated
What someone may think is perfect, doesn't turn out to be at all and what another considers perfect is not perfect for you. Photos of the perfect Christmas home in magazines are staged, people only post on social media photos of the calm before the chaos and Christmas movies are just that, a movie full of actors helping you to feel warm and cozy inside. You don't have to try and make the movie at home.
Get fresh air and time out
The saying 'everyday you should spend twenty minutes in nature, or if you are busy you should spend an hour' couldn't be more true at Christmas. From present shopping and wrapping, decorating the tree to food cooking, entertaining and the clean up along with dealing with many emotions - it's a really busy time of year. Christmas isn't meant to stress you out but if it does, step away! Get outside, go for a walk, hug a tree. Feel yourself grounded and connected.
You do you!
Most importantly, just because it is Christmas, it doesn't mean you have to do/be/celebrate what others put on you. If you don't want a tree, don't get one. If you want to eat Taco's on Christmas Day - go for it. You might be surprised that it's a welcome relief for everyone involved.
Making Christmas your own podcast episode is now available to download with The Grinch (that didn’t steal christmas) Ellen Mary - DOWNLOAD HERE.