“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill.” – Calvin Coolidge

 

Christmas, if yours is anything like mine, is chaos. It’s joyful, of course. But there’s always a lot going on. I, being an actor, am often engaged in some kind of Christmas show throughout December. I also have to cram in the wider family stuff, spend time with my wife and kids, decorate the tree, deal with gifts and stockings, ferry all of us around to various houses full of various people that we love… and the list goes on.

Like I said, it’s all fun and games. Sure. But there is very little time for personal peace. No time, really, to be mindful of oneself and find time to reflect. Or even for your brain to have a bit of quiet. That is why I am always looking for the odd slice of time to give my brain and body a rest. If you are someone who struggles to find this too, perhaps my thoughts on finding pockets of festive peace will be helpful to you in some way!

1. A Moment Outside

Nobody really wants to go outside at Christmas, right? It’s cold. Often wet. Being England, it might well be a bit grey. But the beauty of stepping outside is the silence. The sound of a world where everyone has huddled inside for the day. There is something extra peaceful about silence in a place where silence rarely visits, and if you can bear to pop out for a walk, or even (as I do) a walk around the garden with a nice drink, do.

2. Cook

I always offer to cook. I find cooking quite peaceful. If cooking at Christmas stresses you out, maybe don’t do this. But if you are the opposite, offering to cook on Christmas day might be just the ticket. I love nothing better than wandering around the kitchen, checking on pots and pans, chopping a few things, and listening to music with a glass of wine on the go. For me, it’s an exercise in living in the moment, and all other worries tend to fall to the side for a while.

3. Living Room Book Club

This happens less than is used to. Mostly because there are young children in the family now. There used to be a slot of time allotted in the day where we would all sit in the living room and read our new books. All sitting in a comfortable silence disappearing into an exciting new world. If you can master the un-awkward silence, without expectation of one another or judgment, you’ll have found something strangely special.

4. The Early Morning

It depends on where I am, and who with. But I either get up before everyone else, make a really nice coffee, and sit in the living room in the crisp, still morning silence for a while. Or, if the very small people among us have risen with the sun, I shall be the one to offer to leave the madness of stockings and make the hot drinks. I’ll take my time over boiling the kettle and pulling out the biscuits, and just enjoy the reality that this is a moment in which I do not need to rush.

5. Nap

I used to feel like a nap was cheating. Or like it was rude to take one. Or that I’d be missing out if i disappeared for a little while. I no longer feel that way. A mid-Christmas nap is perfect. It gives you time away from the madness. It gives you a change to reset and recharge. It is a mindful way to ensure that you have energy throughout the day, as opposed to spending half of it lagging and not getting the best out of time with your loved ones.

By Chris Thomson

 

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