It’s the last weekend before Christmas. For some it will be a magical time and for others total chaos.
Last minute christmas shopping
Crowds
Too many people to meet up with and not enough time
Getting the home ready for visitors
Wrapping presents
Family arguments
The list could go on and on….
Rushing about trying to fit it all in can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming.
Unfortunately, I can’t decrease your to do list. I can’t give you more hours in the day. I can’t make you super human so you can flash through everything.
I can remind you to breath. It sounds too simple to be helpful, surely!
There is a difference between being focused and productive and the alternative, being overwhelmed and stressed.
When we are running about doing a million things we start to focus our thoughts on what we still have to do, the lack of time we have and how we won’t get everything done. This triggers a stress response within the body. Emotionally we can feel anxious, worried, stressed, helpless etc. The stress response floods our body with adrenaline increasing our heart rate, making it harder to concentrate, sweating, feeling nauseous etc.
I can’t change what you have to do but I can help you cope with it better.
BREATH….
Stop for 5 minutes.
Breath in for 4, hold for 7 and out for 8. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
This action tells the body there is no threat. With no threat there is no need for the stress response and it will stop pumping your body full of adrenaline.
Write down what you need to do and prioritise. Delegate jobs to those you can.
Keep breathing!
Don’t let society’s or your own personal idea of the ‘perfect’ Christmas ruin it for you. These ideals become unobtainable. Whatever you are able to do is the perfect Christmas. It’s a state of mind, not something you can see or touch.
Don’t put yourself through the wringer and miss out on what’s important – the simple moments we have that we can’t ever get back. They don’t involve stuff, that gets forgotten. They involve you being present and engaged. Those are the precious moments we treasure – laughing at silly cracker jokes!
If you couldn’t find the PERFECT gift for someone that’s ok. Maybe the perfect gift doesn’t even exist.
If you didn’t get through your to do list that’s alright, you aren’t super human. You did your best and there are only so many hours in the day.
If the turkey gets burnt you haven’t ruined Christmas.
If things start to build up….BREATH….let it go…..remember what’s important and let it go.
Written by Julia Donald at Cognitive Vitality Psychotherapy in Inverness.