8 Ways To Find Calm During Christmas (For Mums)

1. Keep it minimal. I repeat, minimal!!

This is not just because I’m a classic millennial (why are we so obsessed though, lol). The less stuff to deal with, the less clutter and the more simple, the less stress to the naked eye. I know it’s Christmas and it’s easy to get excited, but honestly sometimes less is more. You'll thank yourself as the weeks go on. Less clutter to clean = more time for a tea or time with family. Less Christmas decorations = more space around the house for things to naturally build up e.g. Christmas crafts, presents, food etc. Sometimes looking around and seeing all the “stuff” can actually be a reminder of how much there is to maintain and get done. Allow yourself space and air to breathe while things are so crazy! And if you really can’t help yourself, just choose a select special few items and treat yourself rather than decorating with lots of little things.

2. Schedule in some massages or facials ahead of time.

You could do this in the weeks leading up to December so say in November or earlier. That way, when it comes to the time, it’s just booked in and no questions asked. Also let everyone know - mummy is going out at this time, on this day. There is so much to keep up with and you're usually taking the lead most of the time for the family, and that is such a big role, so make it a priority (and don't reschedule for another time!).

4. Make boundaries and decide on them BEFORE it comes to the time.

This could be a number of things from no sugary food after 3pm, to limits on screen time, For example, my new rule is no TV after 5pm. They can watch a couple of shows right before bed (controversial, I know - but it works for us) but they need that connection with family during dinner and bath time. Otherwise they muck around later because they’ve been watching the TV all afternoon. For us, it works when they’ve just run a muck all afternoon, spoken to us with good eye contact and had conversations with us. Plus, I have found that it makes bedtime easier for me because I’m not competing with the TV! Then the wind down to bed time is way easier, way less stressful, and a lot less me yelling (guilty 😬).

5. Do some "extra" things to help you relax at night.

I know this is the old cliche, self care Sunday type stuff. But, it can really go a long way during the Christmas season. For instance, I’ve been loving using a hot towel on my face before bed. All it takes is boiling the kettle to 70 degrees and soaking a rolled face washer in the water on a plate, and placing it on my face as I get into bed. Ridiculously easy but makes all of the difference. ASMR ASMR ASMR!!

Here's a few self-care items for some inspo:

Guasha tool
Under eye patches
Face mask

6. Have a calendar.

I know, super obvious right? But honestly, it can be easy to not worry about it but knowing what’s coming up and being able to see it right in front of you makes all the difference. That way, you can see if you’ve got a big weekend coming up, or a jam-packed week, or if you’ve got some space for some me time. You could even take this further and highlight in different colours e.g. family vs friends vs me time, so that you know what sort of a week you’ve got, and you can be more intentional in balancing it out more. For example, if you’ve got a big weekend coming up where you’re going away to the mother in law’s for the weekend, you could balance it out with some one on one time with your family afterwards to reset or some me time.

If you found this helpful check out:

• 5 Quick Self Care Tips For Mums

• 5 Super Easy Christmas Traditions With Kids!

Christmas would have to be my favourite time of the year. The excitement of presents and gift giving, putting up warm and fuzzy decorations, and a feeling in the air that we’re all going to be stopping everything soon to take it easy and hang out with family, eat good food and relax. But that’s just the thing - the lead up to Christmas can sometimes be anything but relaxing. It can be super busy, keeping up with all the events and fun things happening. There’s food to prepare ahead of time, presents to buy, outfits to organise for everyone, long lists of things to take when going away.

Sure it is fun, but it can get tiring and stressful at times. Especially when you’re the one usually managing everybody else and trying to keep on top of it all! Does anyone stop and tell you to go and have a break and some time out for yourself? Usually not. The difference between a busy job and being a mum is that you are your own boss, and everyone seems to always assume you’re fine because you’re so good at getting up and showing up everyday - regardless of how you’re feeling. Plus, you don’t want to burden anyone with how you’re feeling.

But I see you!! And I love how social media and the internet like these blog posts has helped us mums help each other out. You don’t have to feel so burnt out and alone anymore. I got you!! I know how exhausting and overwhelming and overstimulating it can be. So here are my top 7 ways to find some calm during the Christmas season.

7. Have a non-Christmas book you’re reading.

I know, I can hear you saying - "but I want it to be all Christmas everythang!" But - trust me, this will help you feel like you’re escaping from all the craziness, and you could take it to the next level by going out somewhere solo to read. Grab a smoothie from a local cafe, get in the car and find a nice spot under a tree. Trust me. This will rejuvenate you so much, you might actually miss the Christmas chaos! Which is the whole point. One you could start with the I highly recommend because it's funny and is set on a beach resort far away, is The Unhoneymooners! It's super lighthearted and puts you in a good mood straight away! 

8. Take advantage of the quiet times.

Reset your room. Put on a timer and some poolside music, tidy, throw a wash on with all your clothes, do a quick vacuum of your space, and change your sheets. I know it seems like effort. But again, trust me it works- you know the feeling. Stepping back into a clean fresh room at the end of a long Christmas BBQ will have you feeling like you’re staying in a hotel somewhere. Well, maybe not that far - but a fresh clean room is just everything. Especially in the heat of summer when you’re hot and tired. 

3. Steer clear of the shops and order the bulk of groceries online.

I’m a lucky gal because my partner loves to do the groceries. He’s not really into the whole click and collect, and I get it - when it comes to fruit and veggies and meat, you kinda want to choose your own and make those choices yourself. But what about the bottles of milk, dried goods like crackers, chips, muesli bars, and cleaning items? I mean seriously, the list goes on for how many things you could order with either click and collect or even delivery. The services for these are amazing these days. So even if you can’t escape the chaos of the shops altogether, and sometimes you might actually secretly look forward to the Christmas chaos vibe (not me lol 👀), make it a bit easier and quicker by doing the bulk of it online and just do a smaller shop for the items you want to pick yourself. Plus Woolies do 10% off once a month with their rewards program. So why not just do a big huge shop with 10% off in December and store it for the coming weeks!

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