Let’s be hones. For most of us the time before Christmas is not very peaceful and contemplative. It is filled with what feels like thousand appointments we have to attend and millions of things we have to do.

Have to? Who is making us? Yes, I want my kid to have presents at Christmas. But does it have to be five? Wouldn’t one or two well selected be enough? And who says that my partner and my friends have to have presents too? Just to think about ? And just because I’m invited to the Christmas party doesn’t mean I actually have to go. I can skip one or the other.

But the real reason why we are so stressed out is that we permanently think about all the stuff we still have to do and where we have to go. Even if I’m not actually doing it or going there. An example: I know I want to pre-order the meat for our Christmas meal. This stressed out feelings comes because I think about calling the butcher when I wake up in the morning, when I’m having breakfast, when commuting to work, when having lunch at work,… but I’m not actually doing it. Just thinking about it all the time. Easiest for me is to consider when would actually be a good time to really make the call. And put an appointment in my calender which reminds me of doing it than. Out of my head, no need to think about it any more. Because all the thinking I was doing was just to make sure I won’t forget it. But it keeps coming into my head when I can’t really do it – like 6 am in the morning when there is nobody there I could call. And it’s quite similiar with most of the things.

Yes – before Christmas there are a few things to be done we normally don’t need to do. But they are not the cause for feeling stressed. But our constant thinking about them. And as soon as I see this I can come up with ideas that help me stop doing this additional thinking. And enjoy this special time before Christmas.

With this said – have a peaceful Christmas time.