Navigating the Festive Season with Ease.

Blog Post by Lucy Collins

Christmas and the festive season can be wonderful in lots of ways; time off work with loved ones, celebrating and feeling joyful. However, this time of year is also marketed to us in a very specific way, which subconsciously can have huge affects on our emotions, feelings and expectations about the season.

In this blog post we look at 6 ways you can support yourself amd your mental health through the festive season, from common experiences had by individuals that I am working with.

1)     Planning in time to rest.

2)     Deciding family boundaries in advance.

3)     Check in with your body and bring  awareness to over consumption of food and alcohol/substances.

4)     Connect with the pagan calendar of the year – Yule before Christmas.

5)     Intentionally connecting to other realities In the world, whilst holding gratitude to your own experience.

1. We live in a time where rest is often forgone as an 'unnecessary'; that we should constantly be 'doing' that only needs to be taken seriously when we are ill or burnout. This is just not true! Planning in time to rest can be a huge source of restoration to your physical and mental health, allowing you to not only become more present and enjoy life through slowing down, but also to have more energy for things you want to do.

Rest can include: lying on the sofa, reading a book, painting watching tv or anything else that allows you to stop and relax.

2. Ram Dass the Buddhist teacher once said “If you think you are enlightened, go and spend a week with your family.” This is something I frequently reflect back to the individuals I work with, in that as we work through and change many behaviours, patterns and beliefs linked to our past experiences (often linked to patterns from our families and loved ones) spending intense or extended time in old dynamics during this season can trigger old reactions. It can be useful to reflect in advance about how long and in what context spending time with relatives feels right, and deciding on some physical and psychological boundaries in advance. It could be that in some situations physically removing yourself from situations is the right move for you, spending time reconnecting with yourself before returning. It might be that psychologically you are being triggered by people around you, and so holding onto self-compassion when old reactions set in. Taking a breath and finding presence within your day to avoid being triggered into past subconscious patterns.

3. Overconsumption – Over time during the festive season, it has been completely normalised to eat large quantities of foods that you probably rarely eat in day to day, as well as excessive amounts of alcohol often fuelling the social catch ups and gatherings. Overconsuming often leaves us feeling lethargic, slow and can take it’s toll on our emotions also. Before you eat or go out to have a drink, if you feel you are likely to be swayed to consuming more than you usually want to, it can be useful to set intential limits beforehand. Setting intentions allows out unconscious mind to be on board with what we are doing so we are more likely to stick to limits. Of course, it is absolutly fine to enjoy yourself and let your hair down, but if over consuming feels like it affects you, this can help.

4. 'Yule' is a pagan festival that takes place around the winter solstice - the 21st-22nd December- and is considered the pagan ancestor of Christmas. Around this time we celebrate the shortest day of the year and the begins of the 'return of the light'-longer days. If you don’t resonate with Christmas either religiously or from a point of anti-capitalism, or any other reason, honouring Yule as a notch on the wheel of the year can be a lovely experience. Yule celebrations include: bringing nature inside – a tree/making an alter/holly/mistletoe, storytelling, cooking and baking to share a feast.

6. At this time on the planet where there feels like the darkness can be all consuming in some situations in this world, celebrating Christmas can feel innauthentic and somewhat outdated, when there is so much suffering simultaneously happening. It is okay and normal to experience anger and guilt, as we all gather and celebrate at same time as so many millions of people are in suffering at the hands of the systems we live in, and those in power. Having awareness and having conversations about the reality of the world can be hugely beneficial, as well as sending prayers to those in suffering. Gratitude can also be a great energy to tap into during this time.