Creating a Stress-Free Christmas
Remember what this holiday is REALLY about – celebrating the Birth of Christ. Christmas can be a very stressful time of year. For many, the Christmas holiday period can be demanding as we spend time with family or relatives and have expectations of the ‘perfect’ experience.
Today’s Wellness Wednesday activity features a fun connecting activity that allows for everyone to voice their anxieties and stresses about this time of year. As well, parents, we have tips on how to keep this time celebratory and calm for you and your family.
Try this:
In a small group, in class or at home:
- One person in the group thinks about a feeling they are having about the Christmas season.
- That person acts out their feeling without talking.
- The others guess the feeling. Then each person describes a time when they have had that feeling.
- Each person takes a turn acting out a feeling. Try to act out different feelings from others in the group.
- Adapted from Name That Feeling, Mindful Kids
The process of acting out the feeling can be very powerful. Emotions are a part of our bodies and when we trap them in by not talking about them or acting them out, we can be surprised how they affect us in unexpected ways like making us sick or causing us to get really angry over a small thing.
Parent Tips:
As a family, evaluate all your scheduled holiday activities. Make time for relaxing, unstructured time together – build in game time, play time, down time.
Don’t forget that amidst all the social time and visiting, eating large meals and lots of sweets, some outdoor physical activity for the whole family will help to alleviate stress.
Ask yourself, there is no wrong answer:
How did you feel acting out your feelings about Christmas? Were you surprised at how you feel?
Connecting to Our Faith
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. – Mark 10:51a
Write a letter to Jesus asking him what you need from Him this Christmas season.
Further Learning
LDCSB – Deep Breathing Printables
Family Book:
Christmas in my Heart: A Treasury of Timeless Christmas Stories by Joe L. Wheeler
Employees of LDCSB checkout WorkLifeHealth from EAP Provider Morneau Sheppell
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