Take the stress out of the festive season with a plan to return to yourself as often as you need

The festive season can be triggering for various reasons and impacting us differently based upon our personal experiences, circumstances and emotions

Listen to this article

So Christmas and New Year can be a very triggering time for many of us, opening up space and time that we ordinarily might not have in our busy lives and allowing for reflection; remembering who is no longer with us perhaps, what was in our lives, what wasn’t; what is in our lives at present, what isn’t.

It can be a time for reflection on all the things that we don’t ordinarily get to think about. So it can be quite triggering.

It can feel like a lonely time even if we’re surrounded by people, family, loved ones.

There can be expectations that run high which can consequently create stress, tension, anxiety and disappointment.

The light is low this time of year so there can be seasonal adjustment disorder as well into the mix.

And I’d invite you therefore to have a think before the two weeks descend upon us, before family comes perhaps or doesn’t, friends, before all commitments start to manifest, and have a think about yourself.  Where in all of this do you create a plan for self protection, for setting boundaries, for being able to step out of the fray once you’re in it.

It's worth having a think of little pockets of time that you can create for yourself perhaps, if family are descending, if friends are coming, if you’re going to be very sociable and have lots of people around you. Even if that’s a wonderful opportunity and you’re so looking forward to it, we still need that time out now and then, to take a breath, to catch ourselves. to come back to ourselves.

So I’d invite you to have a think over the next couple of weeks of a mitigation plan for you to put yourself at the fore, to put yourself first.

It may sound perverse as Christmas is often about others, however if you focus on your own mental wellbeing, your physical and your emotional wellbeing and have a plan in place for little exit strategies every now and then, to return back to yourself, to get grounded, to feel centred once again and feel yourself. Then that would go a long way perhaps to helping you manage the fortnight as best as you can and showing up as best as you can for others.

So whatever your Christmas and New Year look like I wish you all the very best and I hope that you’re able to put yourself first, so that you can show up for yourself as best as you can, and for others as best as you can.