Christmas should be one of the best times of the year.
A time to relax.
A time to catch up with loved ones.
A time to let go of everyday concerns and open our hearts.
And yet…
For many people, the Christmas season can also be a time of stress.
Crowds. Presents. Family.
Work events.
Social events.
A rush to get on top of everything before your holidays begin.
In the end, many people end up emotionally just trying to get through it rather than enjoy it.
In today’s article, I make ten suggestions for finding joy in the Christmas period.
Consider it a kind of checklist.
A list of things to keep in mind and tick off to ensure you have a joyful and loving December.
It’s stuff we know, but stuff we (me included) might not be doing.
Checklist Items 1-2: The Basics!
In Italian, they have a saying that literally translates: “Between saying and doing, there lies the sea.”
So the next couple of points aren’t rocket science and you know all about them, but implementation, that is the key.
And that is something most of us struggle with – at least from time to time.
Our body is a machine – a machine that dramatically influences the way we think and feel.
And few things influence our emotions and thoughts more than the quality (and quantity) of our sleep.
We all know what it is like to wake up, head foggy and grumpy, after a night of little sleep.
When you haven’t gotten enough sleep, it’s easy to snap at loved ones and make dumb decisions.
So prioritizing sleep will go a long way to having you feel at your best over the next few weeks, to having you show up as the person you want to show up as.
Tips for Better Sleep:
I’ve given a long list of tips on what you can do to sleep better elsewhere. For now, I’ll stick to the basics:
Avoid caffeine in the afternoon.
Avoid alcohol.
And do your best to resolve any issues that are on your mind before you put your head on your pillow at night.
Nothing is more important than a peaceful heart, so do what you can to clear up any emotional unrest that might be in your life, and if there are things you can’t sort out (including general stressors), I recommend doing extra meditation on your base chakra.
(Note: if you have done my Reiki 1, you can visit your bonus Chakra Quick Start Portal to access a powerful base chakra meditation).
The base chakra has the power to dissolve fears and anxieties like no other chakra, so meditating on it for 20 minutes before bed can save you a lot of time tossing, turning and sweating on problems.
Our minds can be duplicitous at times.
It’s like: “You deserve a treat. You’ve worked hard all year. You only get a few chances to relax and unwind. So why not eat until your belly is bursting? Why not drink until your head grows light? It’s Christmas, after all!”
And then, afterwards, you spend much of your day feeling like crap and regretting consuming so much.
So yes, treat yourself if you must, but do the sums. Find that happy balance.
And don’t be seduced by the sweet siren song of the mind when it tells you that you deserve to indulge!
Trust me, it will be laying into you for letting yourself go in another hour or two!
Tips 3-11: Getting Practical
Hopefully, you get on harmoniously with your family. But if not, do whatever is necessary to let go of the past.
Because here is the thing: when a family member does something to upset us, it’s not generally what they have done that is the issue.
It is what they have done + all of the things they have done in the past.
We pile it all onto one plate and then get indigestion!
But if we could just see events in isolation, chances are the words or look someone gives us is not worth getting upset about.
Few things are worth the price of family disharmony.
So forgive and let go wherever possible.
Focus on harmony.
The closer we get to Christmas day, the bigger the shopping crowds and the more pressure you’ll be under to find your gifts.
So don’t wait until December 24 to find something for loved ones.
Do your shopping now. Shop online if you can’t tolerate the crowds, and relax come gift rush hour!
If you have lots to do, you don’t want any surprises jumping out of the closet when you’re already struggling to get everything done on time.
So make a list of everything that needs to get done and then systematically work through it.
That way, rather than feel like everything you have to do is weighing you down, you feel on top of it.
You know what needs to be done, and you do it.
A lot of healers are introverts by nature.
This can make all of the socializing over the Christmas period challenging.
Rather than worry/resent/get in a flap about it, however, simply admit that all things considered, the best choice is socializing.
Then prepare beforehand.
Don’t go into a challenging social situation and hope you can suddenly become all Zen.
It’s unlikely to happen.
Rather, meditate/give yourself Reiki/whatever beforehand so that you’re already in a Zen
state, and then do your best to maintain that state while socializing.
Who knows, you might even find you enjoy it
They say never talk about religion or politics.
Don’t talk about vaccination, veganism, and, for a lot of people, your spiritual practice, either.
Trust me, you’re not going to convince Uncle Bob of the wisdom of your beliefs at one miraculous Christmas dinner.
Bob ain’t listening.
He has already figured everything out.
So that conversation is only going to bug you.
So closet it, and talk about something else.
Talk about Australia’s cricket World Cup victory.
Ask him about his work or hobbies.
But don’t talk about topics you already know you’ll disagree on.
What’s the point?
You can choose which lens to apply to any event.
Rather than focus on your ‘obligations’, focus on your opportunities.
Focus on the good things.
As we all know, you get more of what you focus on. So no point focusing on crap!
Be intentional about your day.
Have a vision of how you would like to show up.
Then do your best to live up to that vision.
Think about your vision before you engage in social interactions.
Few things are more important than our mood.
It colors everything we do.
It can make good situations bad and bad situations good.
So ground yourself in the things that make you feel good.
Double down on your meditation/Reiki/spiritual practice.
Spend as much time as possible in the morning centering yourself.
Go within.
Reach a place of calm.
Of peace.
Of joy.
Then take that state with you into your day.
Find harmony within, and your day will flow harmoniously.
Or start the day stressed and out-of-whack, and have fun receiving a ‘growth’ lesson from the Universe.
As a general rule of thumb, the more you have on your plate during the day, the more you ought to meditate (etc.) in the morning to help you get through it.
In short, work on yourself, and everything will work out.
(Article by Jeremy O’Carroll).
If you are looking for gifts for loved ones, I can help.
To begin with, I’ve five books for five different types of people:
The Big Gift? The Gift that Changes Lives?
Why Not Gift a Healing Course?
Yep, if you really want to impact a loved one, consider gifting them a healing course (Reiki, Pellowah or Chi Activation).
Don’t do this if they aren’t yet interested in such things, but if they are, you most likely already know the kind of treat they are in for.
If you have any questions, just reply to this email or call me on 0417 328 457. I’d love to tell you more.
Have fun and shine brightly,
Jeremy
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