Have a Mindful Christmas - Beat the stress and stay Zen!
It’s meant to be a time of joy and celebration. But some aspects of Christmas are less than a delight and others are downright challenging. We thought it’d be fun to take a look at how to stay Zen in the run up to the festive season and remain that way until everything’s back to normal.
Why the festive season can get so stressful
For some of us, Christmas is nice and simple. For others it’s probably the biggest project management task of the year. The more people are involved in the celebrations, the more difficult it can be to stay cool, calm and collected.
Maybe you need to feed a large number of people all at once, with a complicated meal involving multiple stages of preparation and cooking. Perhaps you’ll be preparing something relatively unfamiliar like a duck or something just huge, like the traditional turkey. Plus all those trimmings. This year the thought of the electricity and gas bills alone are enough to set a lot of people’s pulses racing and not in a good way.
Then there are gifts. Even if you’re planning to do all your festive shopping online, it’s tricky. What do you buy for people, will they like it and what if they’re hard to buy for in the first place? Racking your brain takes time and effort even before you begin the wrapping process, which can send some of us into a rough spin because our wrapping skills are less than perfect – it looks like a toddler did it.
Christmas is also about catching up with the people we love, which can be stressful in itself thanks to family dynamics and being crammed into a small space. Arguments are on the cards for many people, heightened by a bit too much of the bubbly stuff or an excess of beer. It’s hot and cramped indoors, cold and dark outdoors and the kids are getting bored and restless... nightmare!
If you’re looking for ways to stay cool throughout the festive chaos, it helps to be mindful of the way you’re feeling so you can do something about it. Here are some handy tips for staying Zen this Christmas.
Our hot tips for staying cool this Xmas – First, mindfulness
The root of Christmas calm is mindfulness, staying in the moment and knowing ‘right now’ isn’t actually that bad. Mindfulness defines the human ability to be fully present in the here and now, aware of where we are and what we're doing and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by the things going on around us. Some people get it straight away, for others it takes practice, but it’s well worth preparing and practising now, with a few precious weeks to go before the seasonal madness strikes. When you manage to maintain a moment-by-moment awareness of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and the surrounding environment and you know how to see everything through a gentle, nurturing lens, nothing seems that bad. Your roasties might get a bit too crisp but so what, it isn’t the end of the world. Grandma’s fallen asleep with her face in the trifle but hey, that isn’t the end of the world either. The dinner is an hour or two later than planned but nobody’s going to starve whilst waiting. Mindfulness is a great way to get life in better perspective, keep it that way and remain sane.
Manage your expectations
If you’re one of those people who expect a perfect Christmas every year, despite years of experience proving it isn’t always the case, it helps to be a bit more realistic about the big day and its aftermath. Can you enlist people to help you this time, rather than doing everything yourself? Can you set everyone a specific task or even write a to-do list? You never know, letting the family get more involved might change the way you all feel about the festivities, a feeling of ‘we’re all in it together’.
It’s also helpful to expect less of people. Just because it’s Christmas, it doesn’t mean everyone suddenly becomes perfect. Our failings and flaws don’t go away for December 25th. Quite the opposite! So maybe revel in the madness, laughing at it instead of getting all hot under the collar when someone you love lets you down.
Know things are going to go a bit pear shaped - and accept it
A project this big and complex is bound to go pear shaped in one way or another, so let go of the idea that you can – and should – control the whole thing like the conductor of a particularly disobedient orchestra. Think about it and you’ll probably realise the most memorable family occasions are the ones where something unexpected or dramatic happens. Relish the risk of potential chaos and if it happens, you’ll be better able to laugh it off and create wonderful memories.
Prepare as much as you can in advance
How much of the Xmas lunch can you pre-prepare then store or freeze days beforehand? Can you get your gifts bought and wrapped in late November or early December? Can you avoid the sheer hell of last-minute emergency Christmas Eve shopping? Where the festivities are concerned, lists are your best friend. Create a comprehensive to-do list and give yourself a pat on the back every time you tick something off. When the day arrives you’ll be as well prepared as it’s possible to be, which means you’ll have more chance to relax and enjoy the occasion.
Love isn’t about money
This year in particular, a lot of people are struggling to cope with the financial aspects of life, with the current once-in-a-lifetime-sized cost of living crisis in full throttle. This is a good time to remember that love isn’t about money. It really is the thought that counts. A small, thoughtful gift chosen with love can mean so much more than something splashy and expensive.
It’s OK to admit to your family that money is tight instead of trying to pretend everything’s normal. It’s very stressful trying to hide worries. It can help a lot to share your concerns with the people you love rather than holding it all inside.
Get great sleep so you’re feeling fresh and rested
Just one less than great night’s sleep can leave you reeling when there’s so much to do and somehow, never enough time to do it. It makes sense to treat yourself to lovely calming things to help you chill. If you’re in charge of the whole Christmas thing, you deserve gifts. And we have some wonderful treats for you, all designed to help you relax, sleep well, feel calm and look your best, even when it feels like everything’s going crazy around you.
Our luxurious range of sleep, wellness and relaxation products combines style and beauty with very effective products to help reinforce your positivity. Choose from lush Sleep Masks that leave your skin soft and moist and silk hair turbans to leave your locks smooth and shiny. Pad around in a pair of stunning Silk Velvet Massaging Slippers, slip between the sheets with a Silk Velvet Hot Water Bottle. Soothe hot, tired eyes with a sumptuously soft, cooling Lavender Eye Pillow and sleep like a baby thanks to a pure Mulberry Silk Anti-Ageing Pillowcase.
Does that sound good? If so, head for our shop and stock up on luxury relaxation for a calmer, less manic Christmas. We wish you and the people you love a fabulous time, filled with good cheer.
