The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Christmas is all about nostalgia. We find ourselves wanting the same festive experience we had as children, full of wonder, magic and presents.

It's common to go into auto-pilot mode around Christmas, following the same routine we have for years: slowing down at work, catching up with friends and hosting family lunches. At this time, we crave ‘old energy’ – we crave the same things that make December Christmas-y, year after year.

So what about 2020? For those of us who are missing a tradition or experience that we’ve come to rely upon at Christmas, it may be incredibly upsetting.

Now, before you throw in the towel and decide that Christmas 2020 is cancelled, I’ve got something for you to consider.

We may not have a normal Christmas, but we can have the same joy and love. How can we do that? Focus on the feelings you get at Christmas, rather than the things or activities you get those feelings from.

We can be slow, relaxed, creative, magical and grateful. These feelings that make Christmas so special are still possible, we just need to find other ways to get them: FaceTime your family for Christmas lunch, mail presents to your loved ones, stream carols on your TV, or listen to the Christmas music of your childhood. There’s always a way.

In fact, there’s something special about having a Christmas that’s not a repeat of last year and the year before that. When we’re on auto pilot in December, we do all our festive activities without realising how they make us feel and what they mean to us.

But in 2020, we have a chance to be mindful and ask ourselves, what can I do to make myself feel joy right now?

For me, it's watching Love Actually every time I feel a bit melancholy about my cancelled plans (I'll probably end up seeing it at least 7 times). It's drawing homemade cards and writing long messages to my loved ones to feel that sense of giving and connectedness - even if I can't spend Christmas with them.

And this is a way of living we can continue in the new year. This is the lesson we should take from Christmas 2020 – learning to tune into our feelings and craft our days in a way that make us feel good, rather than living on auto-pilot. It's times like these we learn to live again.

Consider what you like most about the holiday season, and how you can apply it all year round. It might be staying home more, baking treats or going away with your family. And take what you like the least – maybe the expectation of being a perfectly functional family – and eliminate it from your life.

This Christmas, we’ve been given a gift that keeps on giving. We’ve got the chance to create new habits and transform our life into a magical, inspired one we absolutely love every month of the year, not just in December.

Above all, the pandemic has created change. COVID is trying to pry our grip from the past, shake up our routines and beliefs. Now I certainly wouldn’t call a pandemic good, but it is definitely an opportunity for learning and growth.

And Christmas – when we love tradition, routine and familiarity the most – is where this year of change comes to a head. It’s going to be our biggest test yet.

It’s clear that the universe wants us to make some monumental shifts in our modern world. But to change the whole, we have to start by changing the individual. Create new habits, follow your dreams, look after your body and go within to get to know yourself.

Once we begin living more meaningfully and sustainably, the universe will get off our backs. But if we don’t, we’ll continue to be thrust into pandemics of all sorts: a virus is just the beginning.

So be a pioneer; be at the forefront of the change. The world is going to move on whether you choose to or not, and if you’re at the front of the pack it will be much easier on you. Embrace the New Earth that is evolving around us.

This Christmas is the time to really see yourself grow: fill your days with feel-good experiences, be appreciative of your loved ones, and be considerate of the planet. Now, repeat. For all of next year and every year after that.

Let me know your thoughts below!