How to have a perfectly imperfect Christmas this year

How to have a perfectly imperfect Christmas this year

How to have an imperfect Christmas this year

After the year we’ve all had the last thing we need on top is extra pressure to have a ‘perfect’ Christmas. So take the pressure off yourself and create the kind of Christmas that works for you and your family.

Be Realistic, life is NOT like the movies!

If you believe what you see on the movies everyone else is having a jolly family time with everyone looking doe-eyed at everyone else whilst having a nice relaxing game of monopoly in front of a roaring log fire.

However the reality is often more like over-tired children having a tantrum, grandma falling asleep in a corner after having her third helping of sherry trifle, dad trying to think of a reason to walk the dog for the third time in as many hours to escape the mayhem and mum wishing she was able to have a lie down in a darkened room with a good book and a glass of prosecco!

People who usually spend a couple of hours at the most together every day are suddenly expected to be together in one room feeling happy and jolly for days on end and so it’s no wonder people end up with frayed nerves over the holiday period.

So be mindful that what you see on films is probably NOT what is happening in household across the land.

Imperfect christmas. Image of christmas wrapping and gifts

How to be really crafty this Christmas

Now there are certain programmes on Channel 4 telling you how to make all kinds of wonderful crafts for Christmas. If that’s your thing, great but if not don’t beat yourself up about it.

Do what makes sense for you! If you want to hand make Christmas cakes and Christmas pudding and honey glaze everything in sight then great, but if you’re tired or poorly or time-poor or just want to spend time with the family rather than tied to the cooker you can buy a lot of things pre-prepped or frozen. Or if you’re feeling energetic they can be prepared in advance and some things can be frozen at home. Yorkshire Puddings and cauliflower cheese freeze well in advance.

If you have a very small family, you might find that it makes more sense to buy a chicken or turkey crown or a turkey roll. Or do away with the turkey idea and have your favourite meal instead. There’s no shame in having a curry or Christmas buffet or pizza if that’s what you prefer. Especially if no one in the family is that keen on a roast dinner!

Make your own traditions

This year especially is the ideal time to make your own family traditions. One of our family traditions has been to have Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve. This has meant that we can spend time with the children on Christmas Day itself and we can either pick at the leftovers or have something quick and simple for Christmas day meals (often cheese toasties or pizza) which means that everyone can celebrate together.

It can add a layer of calmness to the day. Having a special lunch (with enforced eating of sprouts!) amongst all the excitement of Christmas can be a step too far for some people!

My mission and Philosophy

Discuss Arrangements Ahead of time

This lets everyone be clear on what is happening and there are no misunderstandings. 

This could be an opportunity to think who you would like to spend time with (especially if you normally end up spending it with people you don’t really get on with! Now maybe the chance for you to pull up the drawbridge, hunker down and have the family Christmas you’ve always dreamed of!

Little ones will find it useful to know what is happening when and also what is expected of them. The more gentle guidance you give them the calmer they should be.

Christmas Walk

Take some time out just for you

During the day it can be helpful to take some time out for yourself! You don’t need to be constantly at it all day. It is your day too. If you need a nap or to do some yoga, read a book or fancy a short walk then do it!

If you have children factoring in some quiet time can be very helpful. It’s also a good idea to get them out of the house for an hour or so by going for a walk or taking them to the park to let off some steam.

How to have a perfectly imperfect Christmas this year

How are you going to create a perfectly imperfect Christmas this year?

Please let me know by leaving me a message in the comments below

My Mission and Philosophy

My Mission and Philosophy

What’s your mission in life?

Mine has to be to make the world a brighter place in whatever way I can. Normally that involves making people laugh out loud or fall asleep, depending on the circumstances! I love helping people feel more relaxed. Restoring a sense of wellbeing, calm and order through my reflexology treatments and adding warmth, laughter and joy with my sense of humour. 

I love the look of delight on the customer behind me in the supermarket queue when I suggest that they go ahead of me with their 5 items of shopping and the beaming smile of the chef thanked for creating a delicious meal. I love it when people tell me that they’ve seen something that I’ve written and they’ve almost spat out their tea laughing at what I’ve put. 

cup of tea

The little things in life make all the difference

For me life is about making little changes, it’s the little things that make the world a better place. It’s about telling people to have a good day and thanking them for the things they’ve done right.

It’s about taking a minute to look at the bigger picture rather than diving in feeling afronted because you’ve actually only got half a story available to you at the time. Ensuring that you have time to stop and sniff the roses if you can.

I’ve been known to screech to a halt to take a photo of some pretty wildflowers or to take a photo of a funny sign in a shop. I love seeing the beauty in things, even in the boring, ugly, mundane, everyday stuff.

I love appreciating the small things in life. A hot cup of tea after a walk in the rain, the smell of homemade cookies or the simmering of soup. The crackling of a log fire, the twinkling of fairy lights. 

cup of tea

What am I like?

People often tell me that they feel like they can be their authentic selves with me. That they don’t need to ‘be’ anything other than who they are, because they know I would never judge them (quite rightly so too)  I’m often referred to as a slobby jumper friend, the sort of person where you can wear your slobby jumper, not need any makeup and if you come over you’d be expected to curl up on the sofa. I aim to create a safe space where you can simply relax unwind and let out that much-needed sigh of relief. It is ok for you to be yourself.

I bring this into my treatments too. Just be yourself, it’s safe to do so.

cup of tea

When I am looking for a Reflexologist or Massage Therapist for myself I tend to look for someone who is very human. Who understands what it is like to fancy the occasional glass of wine or crave a chunk of delicious dark chocolate. A real person with thoughts and fears and dreams. Not a wooden, perfect robot.

Someone who gets that life isn’t always easy but who sees that whatever we do we’re doing our best, given the circumstances. I’ve realised that I am that kind of person. This is me!

I am very human, super approachable and friendly. As my reviews and testimonials tell

cup of tea

The best thing about my job is that I love what I do and I am grateful for being able to use my skills as a reflexologist to help people feel de-stressed, less tense, more relaxed, calmer and hopefully with an improved mood. I’d like you to know that you’re absolutely not alone. 

Why I love what I do

I’d like you to feel supported, nurtured and more able to cope. I’d love you to know that you are in in a safe, nurturing space where you can relax, be yourself, be nurtured, pampered and where you can switch off from the other things that are happening for you in your life just for an hour or so. 

cup of tea

Having time out for yourself can be so therapeutic

Having time out for yourself can be so therapeutic. At first it can seem a little selfish or hard to justify having time out for yourself on a regular basis but there is no need to feel a sense of guilt. Just as we can’t make phone calls from a phone with a flat battery, we can’t serve others so well if we’re burnt out or exhausted. If we don’t nurture ourselves first we can’t be our best for our families.

If we’re unfulfilled in ourselves, putting our needs to the bottom of the pile we then get grumpy, or tired or sick! If we put our needs towards the middle of the pile, along with everyone elses, we stand some chance of feeling happy and calm. A happy wife means a happy life for you and the rest of the family.

We need breaks and time out, time to recharge our own batteries to full power. We need to follow our hobbies and interests, meet friends for a cuppa or lunch, to have our hair done or have a reflexology treatment or a massage this is a part of self-care.

Ideally it would  be useful to pencil this self-care time into the diary first as a priority so it’s in, done. Like you’re fuelling yourself first so you have enough energy to do what you need to do. It’s like you have to fill your tank first, rather than seeing if there’s enough time/ energy at the end of the month to fill your car up with fuel.

If you’re going on a long journey you’d fill up your car first, you’d check the tyres to ensure that they had enough wind in them, make sure you have enough screen wash, maybe dip the oil just in case. Life is our longest journey so we need to make preparations first before we set off. Self-care is the same. 

What next?

Would you like to find out more about working with me? Please call me on 07720397734 so we can have a chat. Look forward to hearing from you!

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7 easy ways to get yourself out of a funk

7 easy ways to get yourself out of a funk

What is a funk? A funk is one of those low level moods that cause us to feel that we cannot be bothered doing anything, like your internal fire has gone out. Here is 7 easy ways to get yourself out of a funk

The 5 am Club

The 5 am Club

The 5 am Club. Could you get up earlier to get things done?

Several authors have written about the benefits of getting up at some ungodly hour (usually 5 am!) The theory is if you get up early enough you will be able to do all those things you’d like to do before your normal day begins. 

You would have time to write in your journal, eat a healthy breakfast, go for a run or a swim, meditate maybe, do some yoga or make a start on that novel you’ve been telling everyone you’d like to write. 

Why do people join the 5 am club?

In the days where the telephone would only ring between 9 am and 5 pm this may well have been a very sensible suggestion. Having a clear space in which to just simply get on with things without interruptions from family members and the telephone is definitely a sensible idea. For some people it would be a fabulous idea. But I don’t think it will be the perfect answer for everyone as we are all different.

yawning

Biorhythms and your own Body Clock

Take into consideration your own personal biorhythms. Some of us are up with the larks and naturally very much a morning person, whereas others of us are definitely nocturnal by nature and the very thought of expecting a fully-fledged night-owl to get up at the crack of dawn is about as sensible as expecting your pet hamster to go to sleep during the night time. 

My key concentration time starts about 8 am after I’ve done the college drop off and I’ve stumbled blurry eyed back to my desk with a pot of fresh coffee. This is when I can focus the most and I get most done. But I dare say if I tried getting up at 5 am, I’d likely be slumped in a corner by 2 pm. Which is no good at all!  

Put yourself in the diary!

Scheduling in some time to do the things you love is a good idea. When you do this is up to you. If you fancy getting up at 5 am then great give it a go. If you don’t this is absolutely fine too. Write a list of the things that you’d like to do, but never quite seem to find time for. Then look at your diary and schedule those things in first. 

tuba practice is not suitable for the 5 am club

Word of Warning! Not all hobbies are suitable for the 5 am club

The only thing I would say is if you do decide to get up when other people are trying to sleep, be mindful of the type of activities you undertake. Tuba practice? No. Shredding old documents? No. Tap dancing? No. Practicing for your role in the local amateur operetta. Definitely not!

 Quiet activities certainly, but keep anything that’s likely to get you an Anti-Social Behaviour ticket for when everyone else is awake. 

Over to you

Could you get up at 5 am to get things done? DO you get up early to get things done? 

If you had an extra hour a day what would you do with it? Please leave me a comment in the comments box below 

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