Christmas is a beautiful time of the year. Families get together, gifts are given and meals are shared.
2020 has been no ordinary year and it has affected many families in a negative way, causing more stress. So here are 5 tips for reducing stress at Christmas, which I hope can be helpful as we come into the festive season.
There are many relationships to consider – with self, with a partner, with our children, our parents siblings etc. Conflict can occur because we are all so very different having our own unique perspective and opinions and when stress is present conflict may occur. Below are a few tips to help navigate through and hopefully beyond the festive season..
1. Choose your battles wisely.
Is this an issue that you need to concern yourself with, is this your problem? or can you just walk away and don’t give it your energy. If the issue does not have an affect on you , then walk away. It’s not your problem.You can be available to love and support calmly to help the other person but its not yours to fix.
2. You can only do what you can do and that’s good enough.
Don’t overload yourself with agreeing to do everything. Ask for help, delegate or learn to say ‘no’ It’s okay to put your needs first, it’s being kind to you. Before you say “yes” give it some thought. Do you really have time for this? Do you really want to do this, or would your time be better spent with your partner or kids? We all have freedom of choice, and it’s ok to say no.
3. Take time out
It’s important to take a break from the craziness, and take some time just for you. Providing yourself with self care is your responsibility and an act of kindness to you. Soak in a bath, work in the shed or garden, go for a swim, play with the kids.It is okay to take a break and have fun or just allow your body to relax. My go to has always been a bath with candles, works wonders.
4. Be mindful of the thoughts you’re creating.
Our thoughts are quite often running unconsciously, without us realizing how negative and self harming they can be. Thoughts can cause stress, which can then lead to anxiety and anger and ultimately conflict. Take the time to observe your thoughts when you begin to feel stressed, become aware of what you were thinking just before you noticed your stress. Then you have the opportunity to change them to something more positive and constructive. We can’t change what we cant see.
5. Take three deep breaths.
Taking three long and deep breaths can help to slow down the heart rate, relax the nervous system and bring all the stress hormones such as adrenaline back into balance, lowering your emotional temperature and bring the body back down to calm, or at least to a state where thoughts can be processed logically and thoughts are rational. This is a form of self regulation
There are two ways to walk through life – either in love or in fear, the same road needs to be travelled. The best thing is that you get to choose if it’s going to be a peaceful journey or a stressful one. Yes you can choose .
Take care
