As a parent during the Christmas season, I remember all the fun, excitement and joy I experienced while my children were young.
We loved making Christmas cookies and gifts to share with friends and loved ones, visiting panto and dancing the night away.
I do remember the unnecessary stress, anxiety and overwhelmed I put upon myself to make sure that everything was perfect for Christmas day, making sure I had the right ingredients and the kids got what they asked for.
I even baked a gammon when I had just arrived back from the hospital having just given birth to my daughter on Christmas eve - now that was the AWAKENING I needed - ARE YOU CRAZY!!!!!!
This was the realisation I needed to check in and recognise what was truly necessary to have a stress free season.
I asked the kids what they remember the most and it was always the time spent with each other like decorating the tree together, going ice skating, seeing the Christmas lights, putting up our reindeer in the garden, making mince pies and cookies for friends and family, watching Christmas movies together.
These were all things they remember, that I also remembered the most growing up.
So why is that we end up feeling stressed, anxious and overwhelmed?
It all comes down to our own childhood beliefs and you may disagree, but if you really dig deep you will notice some behaviours you may have picked up from your parents, grandparents and childhood experiences.
So,
You may have experienced seeing your parents rushing around to get things done and arguing about who was getting what presents for the in laws.
You may have even experienced not having very much at all, which meant you came to believe that you didn't want that for your own kids, so do the opposite and cram everything in.
You may also have experienced being the only kid that didn't get the latest craze of a toy and feeling left out.
These childhood experiences can leave powerful imprints and belief systems that make you feel not good enough, the need to be perfect, unworthy of time being spent with you because your parents were too busy.
If any of this is true for you, the best gift you can give is YOU. But it's not the you that is stressed, anxious and overwhelmed.
It's the YOU that was just like the little kid that felt excited about the simple things.
So I invite you to love the inner child that is you and bring him/her back to life of feeling happy and content in the magic of the Christmas Season wherever you are.
Here's how:
- Find a picture of yourself as a child looking happy and excited or
- Close your eyes and remember a time when you felt happy and excited as a small child.
- Become present with that version of you
- Notice how he/she feels in her/his body
- Increase the feeling through your body
- Now remember that feeling and share some tenderness and love to that child version of you. Feel into the feeling.
- Give that inner child a gift, what can you share with him/her that would make him/her feel good enough, loved, calm and happy with everything he/she does no matter what.
- Allow him/her to fully accept the gift and only when he/she is ready grow her up with you and create a do over of all the Christmas's you have experienced, imagining them all filled with joy, fun and happiness feeling calm and relaxed with everything unfolding with ease and flow.
So whenever you notice a feeling of stress, anxiety or overwhelm remember to be loving and tender to yourself as that little child that was you.
The ripple effect is amazing because when you change everything changes.
If you would love to know more about working with your inner child to release outdated patterns of behaviour to reduce stress, anxiety and overwhelm, feel free to access my Master Your Greatness course or dig a deeper and find out about working with me.
Courses: Master Your Greatness for Parents
