How to get through the Christmas season mindfully + FREE MINDFULNESS ADVENT CALENDAR TO DOWNLOAD

Download the mindfulness advent calendar here as PDF

Do you remember the year when the “Yay, Advent is here!” to a “Oh God, is it December again?” has become? As you get older, the Christmas season often loses its magic - especially because responsibilities increase and time seems to slip through your fingers more and more quickly. Gifts need to be bought and the holidays need to be planned. Then there are various Christmas parties, a tree that needs to be decorated and cookies that need to be baked. The department stores and shops are overcrowded and you can only bear the hustle and bustle at the Christmas market if you drink one or two mulled wine, right? This means that the Christmas season is very stressful for many of us and the anticipation of the festival of love is enormously dampened. 

So how do we get through the Advent season with less stress? How can mindfulness help us to slow down and calm down during the most hectic phase of the year?

Tips for a mindful Christmas season

Come back to the here and now

Being mindful means focusing all of your attention on the here and now and experiencing the present moment without judgment. And this is where we so often fail in stressful times. Instead of being in the present, we are stuck with one foot in the past and the other in the future. The thoughts and to-do lists that keep us busy during the Christmas season in addition to our already stressful everyday life make it difficult for us to perceive the current moment. Thoughts are racing in our heads, causing us to be on our toes all day long. 

A first step here can be to illustrate all the to-dos and tasks that need to be done on a large sheet of paper and write them down clearly. This way you create space in your head and have everything in view at once. Write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how small. 

Your senses offer you another opportunity to quickly arrive back in the here and now. No matter where you are or what you are doing, pause for a moment and notice what is happening around you. What do you hear? What smells are in the air? What are you feeling? What taste do you perceive? do you taste? What do you see? This little exercise can make a big difference and help you relax from the inside out.

Your breathing is a similarly powerful tool. If everything becomes too much for you or your head is spinning from all the things you have to think about, take several deep breaths through your nose into your stomach. Let the air escape through your mouth and consciously try to relax your muscles. When we feel stress, we often tense our stomach, jaw, face or shoulder muscles without even noticing it. Let. Come on.

Here You'll get more ideas for mindfulness exercises for in between.

Take a break!

Yes, you heard that right. Especially when we have a lot to do and are running from one appointment to the next, we hardly allow ourselves any time off - after all, we still have so much to do! Especially in moments like these, it is important that we take breaks. Pause for a moment, calm down, do something that brings us joy or takes our minds off other things. Even just five minutes are enough to relax us and bring a breath of fresh air into our thoughts. 

So turn on your favorite Christmas song, make yourself a cup of tea, or retreat to a quiet place for a quick 5-minute meditation. 

Also think about which tasks and tasks you can get help with. There is no shame in asking other people for help. Dividing tasks makes preparation easier and is fun too! 

Work on your attitude

I can't preach it enough: your thoughts determine how you feel and ultimately how you experience your day. So consciously think about positive thoughts, for example by occasionally thinking about something that you are grateful for. Or focus on what is really important to you. Or by trying to look at an unsatisfactory situation from a different perspective. Even a “forced” smile can have a lot of effect: when you smile, happiness hormones are released and your body suggests to your brain that you are happy. Try it out, ideally now. Come on, first one corner of your mouth and then the other. It's not that difficult, is it? 

Journaling or visualization can also help here. Write down your thoughts and worries from your heart, reflect on your day in the evening and consciously remember one thing that went well that day. You can also take a few minutes and imagine the perfect Christmas for you. How would you like to treat your fellow human beings? What is important to you during the holidays? How can you bring joy to others? What can you do to feel comfortable around difficult relatives? Be completely honest with yourself here. Pay attention to yourself and allow yourself to allow any feelings. And remember that you are GOOD ENOUGH. You're already doing a great job, I'm convinced of that! 

Stay mindful through the Christmas season with our mindfulness Advent calendar

As a little mindfulness inspiration for every day of Advent, I have put together a small mindfulness Advent calendar for you. You can print it out or save it as a background on your computer. It should carry you through what is actually such a contemplative Christmas season and remind you to be careful with yourself. It should also remind you that it's okay to take breaks, slow down or do something good for yourself. So that the “Oh God, is it December again?” again to a “Yay, Advent season is here!” becomes. 

Download the Mindfulness Advent Calendar as a PDF here , or simply click on the following image (right click -> Save as...).

If you want to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, check out more exciting blog articles on these topics here .