Mindful Fun For Christmas!

Christmas officially arrives in just a few days! Hopefully most of us adjusted our expectations this year and eagerly await a festive Christmas Day! In the spirit of all the wonderful traditions you shared with me, I’m sharing some mindful fun for Christmas today! Sometimes we get so caught up in the final preparations and the excitement of Christmas Day, we neglect staying present. I know I can easily slip into “auto-pilot”, putting all my focus on my [yet] “To-Do” List. Come with me as I share some fun mindfulness activities for the holidays and offer tips for assessing when you need a break.

Welcome to Mindfulness Monday! Where we learn some easy ways to be more present “in the moment” at our jobs, in our homes, with our families and friends.

Learning to recognize God and what He has for us in each divine moment He offers. We acknowledge the belief that God is with us always.

We confess His presence is available to us, lifting our spirit and helping us with power and grace. Learning the art of “stillness” so we can hear His voice and view ourselves, others and our surroundings through His eyes.

actually, it is about you

Actually it is about you, but in a good way. Please keep in mind, contrary to what you may hear, self-care is not selfish. If you allow all of the overwhelm, preparations and expectations of the holiday season deplete you, you hurt more than yourself. You actually hinder the celebration for your family and friends.

My favorite illustration for this comes from the instructions you receive from the flight attendant at the start of every flight. In case of emergency, you are instructed to place your oxygen mask on first, then assist others. For obvious reasons, you cannot help others if you compromise yourself. Practicing good self-care during a hectic holiday season allows you opportunity to bless your family and friends with the best version of you!

Mindful Christmas care

Of course no two people handle stress and overwhelm the same. While the following tips may offer help to some, they may not resonate with you. Try customizing for your own tastes and needs, or mix and match. Please don’t approach caring for yourself as another item on your “To-Do” list! Remember, our focus is mindful fun for Christmas!

Know Your Limitations

Stay alert to signs indicating you need a break. Take time daily for a Mindful Check in; you can find instruction here for how to do it. This five minute practice involves taking a break, engaging in mindful breathing and noticing how you feel.

Objectively assess the following during your mindful check in:

• First, notice any tiredness in your body. Notice if the tiredness settles anywhere in particular in your body.
• Next, notice any muscle tension in your body. Notice where in your body you feel the most tension.
• Assess your emotions. Which emotion or emotions seem most dominate right now?
• Notice any pain in your body. Are you experiencing a headache, body aches or joint pain?
• Notice any troubling thoughts. Which thoughts seem most persistent, or troubling to you?

Once you complete the mindful check in you can determine the next steps. Staying in tune with your body mentally, emotionally and physically helps you avoid a crash. You quickly determine a need for a break knowing your own limitations. A break may look different at various times based on how you feel. Maybe simply putting your feet up for five minutes, or a quick snack does the trick. Other times a short nap, walk or other form of exercise works.

Manage Your Expectations

We all have expectations for the season, but keep a check on whether yours are realistic. Even if all seems realistic, review whether you have sufficient time for each activity. Rushing from activity to activity in the end doesn’t result in a quality experience. Remember, expectations are often disappointments waiting to happen.

Ditch Perfectionism

You may have the task of organizing all of the holiday activities and events, but they don’t reflect your perfect entertaining skills. Don’t hold too tightly to your idea of how things must go. Review your To-Do list, choose the things you really must or want to do, and ask for help for the rest. After all, memories come from time spent together, not whether everything was perfectly executed.

Work in a Wind Down

For me, this is non-negotiable daily, but during the hectic holiday season, it’s a life-saver. With all of the external stimulation of conversations, lights, activity and general hustle and bustle, your brain doesn’t know when to power down. To avoid over-stimulation and a poor night’s sleep, plan a 30 minute wind down each evening. Turn lights and technology off, sit quietly, and breathe. Perhaps employ a brief 5-10 minute journal time as a debrief from your day. This allows the brain to empty racing thoughts and start to calm down. Try my Night Journaling technique here.

Treat Yourself

You work hard ensuring everyone else has treats and enjoyable activities. Don’t forget you! Make or buy yourself your favorite treats. For me Panettone makes everything right in my world, add mulled wine and things couldn’t be more perfect. Maybe instead of food you prefer a hot bath or shower, whatever treat you enjoy, make time for a little indulgence.

mindful fun for christmas

In addition to good self-care throughout the holiday season, stay present with the following mindful fun for Christmas activities. One mindfulness activity I remember from my training involved “letting go of seriousness”. Laughter has numerous benefits, which include boosting your immune system! Consider letting go of seriousness this holiday season, everything may not go as planned, but that’s OK! Relax your expectations, put the To-Do list down and give seriousness the night off.

Mindful Christmas Tree

You can do this activity alone, as a couple or as a family. Take a few moments sitting quietly, breathing deeply and slowly. I prefer to do this with my eyes closed, as I avoid visual distractions. Then gaze a few moments at the Christmas tree; really look at it, take in the ornaments, lights, gifts under the tree if you have them.

Close your eyes for a moment or two. Upon opening your eyes, what do you see first? Which feature draws your attention the most?

Next, look at the tree for a few moments, maintain as much awareness as you can. Then close your eyes. Now try to remember specific colors one at a time that you have on your tree. Or try to remember the location of specific or favorite ornaments.

Taking turns as a family, one person can be the one with their eyes closed and someone else can ask them to visualize specific ornaments.

You an customize or vary this game each time you play. It may surprise you how much you don’t notice your own tree due to the busyness in your home!

Mindful Christmas Cookie Fun

Use this game alone, as a couple or with your family or friends! Who doesn’t love Christmas cookies? Prepare a plate with a variety of Christmas cookies. Again, take a few moments sitting quietly, breathing deeply and slowly.

Begin by observing the plate of cookies; notice the shapes, colors, textures, toppings, everything about the cookies you can see. Then close your eyes and randomly choose a cookie. Feel it in your hands, smell it, and finally take a bite. Hold it in your mouth a second or two. Notice the textures and taste. See if you notice the various flavors. If doing this game with someone else try and guess which cookie you chose while your eyes remain closed.

Mindful Christmas Wrapping

You may have all of your gifts wrapped already, but if not or you find you have a few last minute gifts, try this activity. I admit I loved wrapping gifts as a young woman. In fact neighbors and friends of my parents would drop off their gifts for me to wrap! Everyone commented on how beautifully I wrapped their gifts. In those days I had few responsibilities and put extra effort into wrapping. But the real reason my gifts pleased everyone, rested in my personalization of each gift.

I wrapped each gift fully aware of the recipient, keeping them in mind as I wrapped the gift. So instead of rushing through gift wrapping, why not elevate the experience by remaining fully aware of the recipient. Pray for them as you wrap, think of what you love most about them or what you treasure about the relationship involved.

Mindful Christmas Scavenger Hunt

You can do this activity alone, as a couple or as a family. But honestly, it’s great fun as a family or group. Do take a few moments sitting quietly and breathing deeply and slowly.

Begin by taking a walk through each room of your home that has Christmas decorations. No talking! Stay present and aware really looking at the decorations. Everyone goes through quietly then returns to the starting place. Take turns remembering what you saw. Which item comes to your mind first? Choose a favorite item. As each person shares, which item did you forget or not notice at all?

You can also make a list ahead of time of things you want everyone to notice. Something old, new, red, green, or when or where particular items came from. Customize as appropriate. It may surprise you even after only a couple weeks, you no longer really “see” your own decorations!

Blessings of a Mindful Christmas

Using my mindful fun for Christmas activities or your own mindfulness techniques will enhance moments spent alone and with others. Creating space for real connection with those you love, rather than spending all your energy on preparations. Memories last a lifetime, preparations are gone like so much wrapping paper.

As you journey through the last remaining days before Christmas Day, rather than shifting into overdrive, slow down, breathe and increase your awareness of the beauty around you. Cherish every last moment alone or with others, as if you were pouring over a treasured photograph. The Greatest Gift came long ago, but His image resides in those around you, don’t miss the beauty of His Presence this Christmas!