Choose a Calmer, More Meaningful Christmas

Christmas is for many one of the most beautiful times of the year, but also one of the most demanding and stressful because of obligations, expenses and rush.

I try to enjoy what I do and to savour each day as much as I can. My work often brings me into contact with people who let life pass without enjoying it and cannot get that time back. In keeping with my intention to enjoy life, I take pleasure in Christmas and want to offer a few keys so you can enjoy this special season too.

Start by doing less, but better — or at least with more meaning for you. There is a big difference between living Christmas with mindful presence instead of excess, and living it under pressure to make everything perfect. The important thing is that you enjoy it in the way you want, whether alone or with others, at home or travelling, with family or chosen family. Have your own Christmas.

Begin by creating a mental framework of calm. You cannot feel peace if you are overwhelmed, and you cannot enjoy yourself if you are trapped by obligations. What would happen if this Christmas you downshifted? Choosing not to do everything is not necessarily renouncing; it is prioritising, and prioritising is an act of maturity.

Ask yourself: what is essential for me this Christmas? What is needlessly overloading me? What can I simplify, delegate or remove from the equation? Decide how you want your Christmas to be — design it. You do not need perfect food or a perfect family performance. Real Christmas is not a television advert: it is human, chaotic, tender and imperfect.

A beautiful Christmas is one in which we give and show affection, where looks are kind, where small gestures bring us closer to others, and where we reconnect with what is essential and simple. Enjoying a conversation, a spontaneous laugh or the light in a child’s eyes are examples of that.

Connect with peace and calm by training how you manage stress and creating micromoments of serenity: take a short walk before a family meal, breathe deeply before entering a social gathering, reserve ten minutes at the end of the day to write or listen to music, watch a candle flame or read a paragraph that nourishes or inspires you. Think of small gestures and actions that, like falling snow, can change everything.

This is your Christmas too — not just for others, obligations or gifts. Make space for your own rhythms and mental health. In the end, Christmas is not about doing more; it is about feeling better. When you bring awareness and care to yourself, the season stops being a race and becomes a time of peace, affection and a gentler view of life.

Over the coming weeks I will offer some practical keys so you can have a Christmas aligned with your priorities — a Christmas enjoyed, not endured, that you can remember with a smile.