December 2009

 

Dear Subscriber

Christmas is coming and, while the goose is getting fat, many of us will be experiencing hair loss and insomnia as our stress levels rise.  So this month I want to share some ways to avoid the stress and enjoy the festive season at your best.  You don't need to swallow the Little Book of Calm to chill out this Christmas:  Grab yourself a nice hot drink, sit down and read on.

In this issue:

I'd love to hear about your stress-busting techniques and Christmas experiences.  If you'd like to share them with our readers email them to me or call me on 01697 747821. 

Have a very happy Christmas and New Year.

Best Wishes,



The Positive Part - Reflect and Rationalise this Christmas

Remember – after looking after everyone else you need to have enough energy left for you.  This year take the time in advance to reflect on your Christmas and rationalise what you are doing, why and who for.  Whose rules are you following?  Are you replicating your childhood experiences and your parent's rules – work out how YOU want to celebrate this year?  List all the things that need to be done to prepare and ask yourself:

  • What must you do?
  • What can you delegate?
  • What are you only doing because you feel you have to?
  • How would you really like to celebrate?

Rationalising preparations and ensuring the end result is what you and your family really want ensures you ALL enjoy your Christmas.


 
Positive Practice - Tips to Chill

Consciously schedule various points during every day, no matter how busy, to stop.  Instead of getting lured into the ‘I haven't got time' remember how much more you will achieve, how much happier and calmer you will feel when you take the time to look after yourself.  So, what do you do when you stop?  Here are some suggestions:

Breathe – consciously and from your abdomen.  Take time out to practice some breathing exercises, boost your energy by increasing your oxygen intake.  Stand tall and place your hand on your abdomen to feel the muscles moving as you inhale as deeply as possible – then breathe out.  Do this a few times and feel your body and mind relax.

Me Time – build your ‘me time' into your daily routine at a time which suits you.  Whether you read a magazine, chat to friends, go for a run/walk, or book a massage, the important part is to define what you love doing, what nourishes you, then take the time to do it.  You know you'll be able to give more to others if you give to yourself also.

Planning – being prepared enables you to contain your worries and feel more in control.  Work out what you need to achieve and how you will do it with dates and deadlines that suit your way of working:  If you work well under pressure follow your inclination and set yourself tight deadlines.  Work out the formula that is right for you and stick to it.

Knowledge is power.  Knowing you are facing a stressful month enables you to deal with it in a positive and proactive way.  It really IS possible to enjoy your preparations when you prioritise, pamper, plan, and remember to keep breathing!

Click here for more tips on how to de-stress.

  

Recommended Reading

The Mind Gym: Give Me Time.  Best Christmas buy.  One of the best stress management tips is effective time management.  This book will give you loads of help and it's written in a really accessible style.  Click here for your copy.
 
What Can You Do?

Asheigh from Fareham said no.

Ashleigh was always juggling appointments and frequently late.  She always tried to stuff as much as possible into the day and set herself high standards.  As a result of this she was often stressed.  She was dreading the run up to Christmas.  After her Spring Forward course she realised that she was actually neglecting her friends and family by constantly trying to please everyone.  She started to say no more often and spent more time doing what she really wanted to do.  She began to estimate her time demands more realistically and put travelling time into her diary as well as the appointments.  This gave her more structured time to do things and she started to feel happier and noticed that life wasn't such a rush.  She sailed though her Christmas preparation and even found time for pampering on Christmas Eve!

What's Happening?

What's your story?  We know that many of our past participants have remarkable stories to tell about their achievements.  Tell that story to the BBC and it might get made into a book or featured on TV.  This would be fabulous publicity for our programmes.  You don't need to be a writer or good at grammar.  Tell your story here.

Free tasters.  We are running several free Springboard tasters over the coming months.  The first is in Dunblane, Scotland on 11th December.  We will be following up with tasters in Newcastle, Manchester and Reading in the New Year.  More info about the tasters on the website.  If you'd like us to run a taster near to you or exclusively for your organisation please get in touch.

Next month we will be helping you set a positive course for the year ahead.


  
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