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Wow, does it feel like a pressure cooker in here or what? This time of year can be so chaotic! From night-times banked up with events to lunch-times packed with Christmas shopping (not to mention meeting KPIs and clearing the desk), the pressure to be everywhere and buy everything in time is on!

At this time of year, we love hearing the carols in the shopping malls, seeing the decorations on the houses, and watching the buskers in the streets.  We have to admit though, what we love the most about this season is that since we don’t personally celebrate the holiday, we can enjoy it all without the added stress of finding gifts for all our family members. And although a tiny part of us has always wanted a Christmas tree, a big part has always been relieved that we haven’t had to fill it’s base with gifts.

Even though we hardly have a leg to stand on, we’d like to offer a few mindful suggestions for those of you who are in the midst of the stress of this season:

  1. Whilst you rack your brain for something unique and memorable for each person, take a moment to reflect on why you want to buy them a gift in the first place. Who are they for you and what impact do they have on your life? You might even want to go one step further and verbalise these sentiments to your people (hint: it will be better than any physical gift you end up giving).
  2. Consider whether there are options other than your usual store bought item that you can devote your gift buying time and your hard earned money to. Going on an adventure together, writing meaningful words down in a card, making homemade treats, and donating to charity on behalf of them are just a few ideas.
  3. Keep in mind that your presence is your greatest present. We live in an attention economy, where the most valuable commodity that we own is our attention. So the greatest gift that we can give someone is in fact our full attention (smart phones and work worries aside). Remember this experiment that was done a few years ago on what children truly prefer for Christmas?
  4. When you are feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of reuniting with your extended family, remember to use it as an opportunity for self-reflection and growth (check out this Thought of the Week for guidance).
  5. Finally, take time to ‘be’ as much as you can during this holiday season. Sing along to those carols, admire those decorations, and commend those buskers.

Wishing a Centred Christmas to all those who celebrate it and a Centred Holidays to those who don’t 🙂