I wonder what this season means to you? We are in the bleak midwinter here in the UK. It’s cold and dark, some days beautiful and crisp, but energy levels can naturally be lower at this time of year. For those who celebrate it, Christmas is fast approaching and for many people the busyness of the festive season can lead to anxiety and stress. Listening to Radio 3 yesterday, I heard a presenter compare the feeling of preparing for Christmas to having an essay crisis! If it feels like this for you, you are not alone.
Taking care of yourself is always important, and especially so at busier or more stressful times. Here are a few suggestions to help you manage feelings of overwhelm and have a peaceful Christmas.
AIM FOR “GOOD ENOUGH”
It’s good to plan and prepare if it helps you to feel calm and organised, but try not to be perfectionist. Aiming for “good enough” rather than perfection is key to reducing levels of anxiety and stress at Christmas. If your to-do list is as long as Santa’s, but without magic and a team of elves to help you, then something needs to give. Is there anything you can cut out? Or can you delegate some tasks to someone else? Try and identify what is really most important and let go of the rest.
MAKE TIME FOR REST
I know this can feel very difficult at this time of year, but the busier you are the more you need to make time for rest. We all have a limited supply of energy and the more we are giving out, the more we need to top it up. Rest can be lots of different things. Think about what restores your energy and do more of that. It might be going for a walk, doing a craft activity, reading a book or just lying with your feet up on the sofa listening to music. Whatever it is, try to carve out a little bit of time each day for that. And throughout the day, listen to your body and when you feel your anxiety creeping up, it’s a sign to take at least a short break. Little pauses throughout the day for a cup of tea or a few minutes outside in the fresh air can really help keep your stress levels down.
FOLLOW THE RHYTHMS OF NATURE
With the shorter days and colder weather it can be difficult, but try to get outside in nature as much as possible even if it’s just for a short time each day. Our bodies function better when we allow ourselves time to connect with our natural environment, instead of living permanently in our artificial indoor worlds. When it gets dark early, our natural tendency is to want to hibernate, and it’s good to follow that rhythm as much as possible. Getting out into nature earlier in the day makes it easier to unwind and relax later. In winter we naturally have less energy and need more rest. It’s hard in the busyness of the festive season, but trying to follow natural rhythms as much as possible can help to reduce anxiety.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
If the pressure of preparing for Christmas feels too much, be kind to yourself. Cultivate a compassionate inner voice and keep reminding yourself, “I am enough”. If you find affirmations useful, you could write that on a post-it note and put it somewhere you will see it often. Or write your own affirmation that feels meaningful to you. Every time you notice that your internal voice is self-critical or harsh, try to counter it gently with a kinder message – “I am worthy of love and care”, “I am doing really well”, “My best is good enough”.
TALK TO SOMEONE WHO CARES
If you are struggling with anxiety this Christmas, don’t try to carry it on your own. You can talk to a friend, someone in your family, or a counsellor. If you would like to find out how therapy could help you, contact me on hannahflowerscounselling@gmail.com to find out more.
Wishing you a peaceful Christmas.
