The run up to Christmas can be both an exciting time with the opportunity to spend time with family and friends and a hectic and frenetic period that can leave you feeling tired and a little bit frayed around the edges. For many people, is a time of doing and a time of ‘to do’ lists. As a teacher, I sometimes think of it as a list of verbs, buying, wrapping, writing, eating, drinking, partying and spending among others.
December in the workplace can be equally hectic as everyone desperately tries to tie up loose ends and ensure they’re ready for whatever holiday the might have and the new year ahead. This comes with its own list of verbs whether that’s finishing, checking, emailing, thanking or completing, securing and servicing depending on the role or area of the economy in which you work.
The other verb that comes to mind is striving. At this time of year, we’re often striving. Striving to get the right gift, striving to write cards, striving to make it special, striving to see people, striving to have a good time and sometimes striving to stay solvent. With striving comes an expectation of how something might turn out, there is often a particular outcome in mind. That might be someone’s reaction to a gift, it might be that everyone has a good time, enjoys a meal that has been prepared or this might be the outcome of an event that has been organised or attended. The problem can sometimes be that so many elements of an outcome is actually beyond our control and when an outcome is different to how it was imagined, it can create frustration and disappointment, the feeling that something has gone wrong or not lived up to expectations.
This is when pausing to sit quietly and mindfully simply being aware of our thoughts can be really helpful. When we meditate, we allow thoughts and feelings to come and go being aware of them without becoming overly attached to them. We can approach the festive period in a similar way and let the time gently unfold without becoming too attached to particular outcomes or expectations. Not only can this help us to remain grounded and calm at a busy time, it can also help those around. Just as we are freer of our own expectations, so those around us become freer of the same expectations that we might have of and for them and of and for events. This allows us to really enjoy and be present with the season and hopefully in a better position to appreciate and enjoy the time we have.
Chris Ludlow is Founder of Thought Bubbles
You can contact Chris via info@thoughtbubbles.org.uk
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