How to make Christmas your Own

And .. Breeeathe....I know I am starting to feel the overwhelm, despite this being my 9th sober Christmas. Each year I try to dial things down as much as possible but it still creeps up! Remember the power mantra : I AM SOBER AND THE REST IS GOOD ENOUGH!

Something that has helped my this year is carving out little moments of stillness and setting an intention of what is important to me this Christmas.

The festive season can be a complex time of year. We welcome our joyful and meaningful traditions, but our spirits may wilt under the bombardment of advertisements, competing invitations and social gatherings or family commitments.

For some of us, feelings of heightened isolation and grief can arise if we’ve had significant losses in our lives or experience unwelcome pressure to uphold family or societal expectations or obligations. These are all booze triggers and so the power of the pause, our sober community and playing it forward are important tools. Deciding your intentions and your values is also powerful to avoid getting knocked off balance by the bright lights and booze nonsense.

As we head into this holiday season, I want to offer up the following reflection and journal prompts to help you carve out time for yourself in the coming weeks to support you in finding your unique holiday navigation, rhythm, and practices.

This 15 to 30 minute reflection can help you intentionally decide how to most effectively balance your own unique desires, needs, and necessary self-care with the collective invitations and expectations of the season. I did this on my own and realised that beauty is an important part of Christmas for me so I am allowing a bit of extra me time for decorating instead of feeling annoyed with my husband ( he does the cooking to be fair). I asked my now teenage kids what they want and they basically want to be left alone and my son wants to play Poker - so we are introducing that this year and dropping the quiz ( which my mother hates LOL)

⭐ JOURNALING PROMPTS FOR DOING CHRISTMAS YOUR WAY 📝

🌲 What is meaningful for you about the holidays at this time of year? What are significant and personally uplifting ways that you enjoy celebrating and honouring this time?

🌲 Are there personal experiences or associations that are important for you to recognize this year such as deaths, births, or significant life memories? What can you do to honour these experiences in a meaningful way ?

🌲 What sort of rituals or self-care practices will keep you grounded, healthy and vibrant during this season?

🌲 Is there any expectation, should, or practice you want to let go of this year?

🌲 Is there anything you want to do differently this year to honor yourself, others, the season, or the holidays?

🌲 Are there any vows, commitments, or intentions you’d like to set for yourself this year?

🌲What kind of support might you need ?

🌲 Imagine you are at the end of this holiday season reflecting back on the events of the preceding weeks. What would you love to say your holiday experience looked and felt like?

Stay sAFe

Kate x

This was adapted from a resource from The Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute.