Imagine the type of Christmas that you want to have?

Christmas is a time for giving to others but it’s also a time to define how you want to give to yourself. This could be taking unhelpful expectations off yourself, or to book a treatment like a massage to clear the stress that has gathered as tension in your muscles and mind. Unfortunately, Christmas has turned into a time of obligation and gathering more. Think about reaffirming your intentions. Even though we have to work over Christmas, we can still find time to withdraw our mind and senses from the drama and trauma.

You’ve done your best- now it’s time to find rest

1. If we want peace & happiness we can practice saying NO, and do a little of what we actually want to do.
2. Remember its within your rights to break traditions.
3. What self-imposed pressures have you burdened yourself with?
4. What ideal family ideas are you pressuring yourself into? What perfections can you let go of so you can relax more and enjoy your time with people.
5. Where do you find yourself saying “I have to go to…” and ask do you want to go or do you feel obliged to go? Does anyone guilt trip you into doing things? Learn how to stand up to them. Suggest other ideas that put your needs out there too.
6. Don’t be all things to all people, have the courage to disappoint people sometimes (even though you don’t mean to). Minimise your to-do list. You don’t have to meet everyone before the 25^th of December.
7. When you do have to go somewhere that you don’t particularly feel comfortable in, tell yourself that you are choosing to go there. Tell yourself that you are allowing people to be themselves (as if you had any choice). Enjoying watching the variety of characters we have in our families and in-laws.
8. Stop, to recognise if it was a difficult year, recognise the effect of the losses you suffered this year. And to acknowledge any pain, that is left as a residue in our body, because of difficult memories. Only when you acknowledge hurt, the hurt of loss heals. Winter is designed for us to get some sort of rest, to recover, rebuild and strengthen.

It’s interesting how Christmas has become about acquiring more things, when all along it was about unburdening and enjoying the simplicity of living. I invite you to experiment with getting your peace, fun and simplicity back.

To summarise, realise how flexible Christmastime can be for you, don’t feel controlled, it’s a time for you to rest and relax (even in the midst of work) and remember to enjoy spending time with the people you love.

How can you Live more in a way that’s important to you?

A Special Word From Stephen

A message from the GNWO