Simplifying Christmas

This feature covers 7 days of thoughts and ponderings, with some time for reflection. It's aimed at reducing the stress in the build up to Christmas so that you can enjoy the good bits and roll with the rest. Essentially, it’s about being a little more intentional. 😊

To really make the most of this you will need to allow yourself 5-10 minutes daily alone with your thoughts and maybe a pen and paper (Or your digital version!)

Firstly, there’s no right or wrong way to “DO” Christmas. If you want to do what works best for you and your closest then a little forethought goes a long way.

Let’s begin today!

Day 1

Have you thought HOW you want this festive period to be? I don’t mean just some random notion of snowflakes, a crackling log fire and a cheeky midday Prosecco (Although that does sound quite nice!🥂). I’m thinking more broadly of how you want it to FEEL and BE.

We don’t have to do what we’ve always done or fit in with a preconceived idea on what the festive period SHOULD be like. We also don’t have to agree to all the demands placed upon us by relatives, work colleagues and others. Just like the rest of the year it’s o.k. to say “No” to stuff that doesn’t fit.

So, for me I’d like it to be quite low key. For quite a few years I’ve worked on only very limited gift giving (Chiefly just my kids). Food and drink wise I’m going to spend a bit of time being creative with more plant powered dishes but generally I want to keep it as "business as usual." I’d love to factor in a bit of a digital detox that all members of the family join in on and use that “freed up” time for some more old-fashioned board games, cards, puzzles and movies so we get access those precious opportunities to connect. 😍

I hope to have plenty of seasonal music and maybe even singing! Lastly, I wish to be outdoors for as much of the daytime as feasible. This is where I feel most alive and vibrant. 😄

As you can see some of my desires are quite traditional, whilst others are not typical at all. Mostly it’s about saying “Yep please” to things that are important for us and “No thanks” to the excess that seems to come at us annually in December.

I do believe there can be simplicity at Christmas without that meaning boring and scrooge like.

✏️ Now it’s your turn – Ask yourself “What is it that you want this year and how does that fit in with your household and commitments?”

Doing this can offer you a good foundation and framework with which to plan, make decisions and super importantly, enjoy this time. Yes, it’s a little upfront work but will save you both stress and time in the weeks to come.

On Day 2 we’ll have more of a focus on gift giving.💚

You can find all of the next days posts under the heading "Simplifying Christmas"