Christmas can be a frantic time, there is so much to do – cards to write, presents to buy and wrap, events to attend, food to cook and the list goes on and on. So some top tips for a Merry Christmas are shared with you, as Christmas doesn’t need to be stressful. It is a time of giving and receiving, a time of reflection, a time spent with loved ones, a time of joy and celebration.
Sadly for some people Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. So here are my 5 top tips for a Merry Christmas….enjoy
1. Set your intention – if you always think that Christmas is stressful – guess what – it will be. What if you see it as a time of Joy and Happiness? How will you be if you change the way that you perceive Christmas? How would you behave? What would change in your body posture, facial muscles, reaction to others…… It is amazing that when we change our own way of looking at situations then things seem differently. Notice what you focus on….what if you focussed on the joy of Christmas?
2. Plan, Plan, Plan – your cards, presents, food, what to wear and a timetable for the big day. By spending focussed time to plan for the Christmas can make all the difference. This can be on pieces of paper (use a different colour for different aspects – presents, food, etc). I use an excel spreadsheet for tracking my progress with present buying including colour coding when ordered or received!! By being organised and planning does ensure that you have remembered everyone and everything and means that you feel more in control.
3. Delegate – do you really have to organise the Christmas all by yourself? Get other people involved – ask them what they can do so that they can feel part of the occasion and you then have some help. You may be surprised. Often people don’t like to offer as they think that they may not be able to reach the other person’s high expectations. I remember one year a family member helped with making our Christmas cards (yes we make about 100 each year!!!) Some of the cards he made didn’t come up to my standards and this did irritate me. Then I stopped and thought “come on Lindsey, does it really matter? Put things into perspective” Things don’t need to be perfect – instead – working together to make a Merry Christmas can be great fun – surely that’s more important that being perfect. And if you are reading this and don’t get involved in the preparation – then give the other person a break, and take responsibility for part of the festive season!
4. Is Money tight? This tip may be a bit late – however if you still have presents to buy – then set a budget and stick to it. Look out for bargains, even buy presents during the year for the following Christmas. Be creative and make presents. We have made presents for quite a few years now such as calendars, knitted Cafetiere cosies, scarves, Chocolate brownie mix etc. Yes it’s a lot of work, however it saves the money and more importantly is a more personal gift.
5. Difficult relatives? Do some of your relatives frustrate you? Rub you up the wrong way? Perhaps knock your Confidence? Remember that you can choose how you react to them. If someone criticises you or the present that you bought for them – then remember that you can either accept that criticism and learn from it, or decide that they can have their own opinion and you do not need to accept it. Often, when working with clients I suggest to them that if someone gives you a gift and you say “no thank you”, then who has that gift? The other person has – it’s the same a criticism!
I hope that you enjoyed the 5 top tips for a Merry Christmas and I’d like to wish you a very merry and stress-free Christmas and wishing 2014 to be a fantastic year for you.
As well as running Confidence workshops, Lindsey also works with people on a individual basis to enable them to be more Confident and more successful. Using highly effective techniques, many of her clients have only needed 1 – 2 sessions to get amazing transformations. Lindsey is an experienced coach who specialises in enabling people to have more confidence in their lives. If you experience times of low self-esteem, self-doubt and lack in confidence, email Lindsey@glows-coaching.co.uk or call 01832 280168 to see how your personal and working life will be improved.
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