Christmas is a stressful time for some people, and sad for others.
Difficult family dynamics can create more stress for many people and it is common for people to dread some aspects of this time of year.
How others around us behave is beyond our control and, if this year has brought grief and sadness into your life, the best you can do is try to create moments of peace for yourself over the coming weeks.
What would it take to make Christmas feel more peaceful for you?
How much time do you want to spend with certain people in your life?
Who are the people who make you feel calm and peaceful and how can you arrange to spend more time with them?
Where can you set some boundaries with the people you do not want to spend too much time with this year?
Make the decision now to have a peaceful Christmas for yourself- this will keep the focus on peace in your mind.
What are your expectations and thoughts about Christmas?
Do you expect it will be stressful?
If you could focus on the small things you can do to bring yourself a sense of inner peace this Christmas, what would they be? For example, calming activities such as a walk alone every day in nature, a daily nap, taking five minutes in the morning to do a breathing exercise or to listen to a Youtube meditation can keep you focused on feeling peaceful this Christmas.
Notice what you can feel grateful for right now even if it has been a difficult year.
At Christmas, it is natural for us to feel focused on what we don’t have or those we have lost.
It is natural for grief for those we have lost to be intensified at Christmas. Allow yourself some time to grieve and then also let your mind focus on the things and people for whom you are grateful.
In simple ways we can feel grateful every morning if we choose to focus on the warmth of the bed for example, a roof over our heads, loving family and friends who care about us, the taste of a cup of tea or coffee.
Gratitude for simple parts of our lives helps us to feel calmer and more hopeful.
Have a daily reminder either on your phone or in a visible place in your home around your personal intention to foster a sense of inner peacefulness in your life.
Write the word ‘Peace’ in a recurring daily reminder or on a piece of paper and put it in a prominent place so you are reminded several times a day to focus on peacefulness in your life.
I would like to wish all readers a very peaceful Christmas and every best wish for 2025. My next post will be in the New Year,
Nicola x
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