How to Celebrate a Conscious Christmas

December and Christmas can be the most beautiful time of the year, but also the most stressful. However, it does not have to be like that this year. Celebrate a conscious Christmas with our tips on how to make this year’s holidays more relaxed and less wasteful.

Already in November, Christmas decorations, chocolates and gift ideas appear in stores. Christmas preparations and stress levels peak in December with mindless gift shopping, the purchase of a Christmas tree, creating a festive feast, all accompanied by the usual family tug of war. 

It can be an exhausting time, physically as well as mentally. Finally, on the 24th, we sit down, tired, but at the same time stressed about creating the perfect Christmas evening with family and loved ones. 

But what if it was different this year? Instead of a stressful Christmas, celebrate a more conscious Christmas. Especially with this year’s COVID restrictions, it is the perfect time to take a financially and spiritually different approach to Christmas. Here are some tips to help you spend this year’s holiday more peacefully and intimately.

Gift Shopping – Don’t. Or Set a Spending Limit

The infamous “For whom I haven’t bought a gift yet” and “For whom do I even need to buy a gift” puts tremendous pressure on us and also burdens the wallets of many families. What if it was different this year? What if we were willing to step away from the collective belief system that we have to give expensive gifts to others just because it is Christmas? 

Agree with your loved one not to buy any presents this year and instead just spend stress-free quality time with each other during the Christmas holidays. Of course this has to be clearly communicated beforehand, to avoid disappointments. 

Or, if you despite celebrating a conscious Christmas don’t want to completely give up gifts, then agree on a spending limit with your loved ones. Christmas is a celebration of love, but this love does not necessarily have to be reflected in expensive and “necessarily” purchased gifts.

Tip: Make a personal gift for each person special to you that will always remind them of you. The memory of a personalized handmade gift, a lovely postcard, or a family activity given as a gift will last much longer and invoke more joy than a vacuum cleaner as a gift.

A Festive Table for a Conscious Christmas – Less Can Be More 

Over the Christmas holidays we tend to eat a lot, which can be a strain on our digestive system. We also tend to gain a few pounds over this two-week holiday period. A conscious diet at Christmas time is just as important as during the year. And while it is ok to indulge from time to time, we often end up with way too much food which is not being eaten. 

Why not try to simply reduce the choice of delicacies placed on the festive table – for example: instead of 3 types of cakes, this year just make one. It will not only leave more space in your stomach, but also on your timetable. And it will give you and your family the opportunity to really enjoy each dish, without being overwhelmed by choice. 

To avoid too many extra pounds on your hips, instead of sugary and high-calorie cakes, choose cakes made from healthy ingredients. After dinner or between meals don’t forget to go for a walk. It is good not only for our body but also for our soul.

Experience Christmas Consciously

During your preparations, take some time to look inward and explore your feelings and thoughts. How does it feel to be getting ready for Christmas? Does it cause joy full of anticipation or just stress and tension? If the latter, think about what exactly causes the stress and how you could make things less stressful. Try to look at the holiday from a different perspective and find solutions to make it a more pleasant and less stressful time for you. This period should be about rest and time with family.

Tip: Stress can be reduced by regular meditation, so even during these busy days try to take some quiet time just for yourself.  Try also to avoid crowded shopping malls and noisy places. The large crowd, the queuing, and the waiting can make us tense and increase stress levels.. Organize your days wisely and shop in time. And after the work is done, give yourself some time to rest. 

Take Time for Yourself

With significantly less social Christmas obligations like company Christmas parties this year, this year may be a great opportunity to spend some quality time with ourselves. Do things that make you feel good. Take a hot bath, read a good book, light a candle and listen to music. Or get the kids away from their computers and smartphones and spend a great evening with the family board game night.

Me-time can also be an opportunity to review this past year and to see what we want to change next year. We can also make a plan or write down our goals for the next year on a piece of paper.

Christmas With Less Excess and Waste

Christmas is a beautiful and intimate holiday, but it comes with a lot of waste, be it food, wrapping paper or energy. This year, try to reduce your ecological footprint and be less wasteful.  

Give Your Food to Less Advantaged People

You have already scaled down your Christmas feast this year, but still end up with enough leftovers to feed a whole football team? Don’t throw it away. Rather pack it up and bring it to those who really need it. 

Just think of how many are hungry on the streets while we throw out a lot of food! Let us make their Christmas more beautiful

Reduce Packaging

Most waste goes to the trash at Christmas. Expensively purchased wrapping paper and gift bags become waste under the Christmas tree in minutes. If you can, reduce the amount of packaging this year. Another option is to reuse gift bags next year. If you open your gifts carefully, you can even reuse the wrapping paper.

Save Energy

Since due to the cool weather and the current situation we spend most of our time inside, let’s try to save the energy used. Buy energy-efficient fairy lights and decorative accessories or reduce their number. Opt for wearing a cardigan over your pretty new sleeveless dress, so you can turn down your heating. If all of us save just a bit of energy, it is not only great for our wallets, but for our planet as well.

Donate What You Don’t Need Anymore

Around Christmas time, there are plenty of donation programs around the country. This year, why not support one? Look around in your wardrobe and take your clothes that are still in good condition, but you haven’t worn in a long time and donate them to those in need. You can also help with food and toys.

As you can see, celebrating a conscious Christmas and living a conscious lifestyle is not that difficult. Let’s try to really enjoy the beauty of the holiday this year and spend quality time with the family in a small circle. Perhaps there has never been a better opportunity for this than now. Let’s take care of ourselves and each other. Love is the greatest gift we can give each other.

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barbara