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Can you find Peace this Christmas time?

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Can you find peace this Christmas time when all around you seems to be in turmoil? People are feeling stressed, financial worries are rampant and the world no longer seems to be such a safe place. How then can you find peace amongst all this chaos?

As we inch closer to Christmas, our busy lives seem to have moved up another notch. What was already a busy existence now seems to be one running on steroids. Deadlines are getting closer, work needs to be finished before the holidays, the roads are in gridlock and already busy stores are now full to capacity.

We seem to have so much on our ‘to do’ lists that it’s very easy to arrive on Christmas Day feeling burnt out and exhausted. But this doesn’t need to be the case. I believe that it is possible to put some ease into your life, to find some peace, even on the busiest of days.

Have a look at your life and make a decision on what is essential and what can really wait until January. Not everything needs to be completed now. Keep things simple. If you have presents to buy, look online or locally. Avoiding the busy shopping centres. So much can be bought in your local neighbourhood or online, so it’s delivered to your front door. Also don’t accept every single social engagement. Your family and friends won’t disappear on the first of January. You can still catch up in the New Year.

You don’t need to buy extravagant presents. Christmas has become very commercial however, its’ essence is not about gifts but about connection. Being with family and friends, the ones who mean the most to you, are all that really matters. Sharing food, laughter and love are what makes Christmas truly special.

Take time out each day to find some quiet moments. Even if it’s just sitting in the garden with a cup of tea or going for a short walk in nature, find some time to switch off and relax.

Can you find peace this Christmas time? Start by avoiding the news. Yes it’s important to be aware of what’s going on in the world, but we can check the headlines on our phones. We don’t need to be constantly reminded of war and fighting and hate, or see visual examples of this. Constant exposure only brings up fear, anxiety and worry. We don’t need that in our lives.

Don’t try and make everything perfect. As a perfectionist in the past, I used to make sure that I had the best ornaments and the biggest tree. The house needed to be decorated beautifully and the table set with matching everything. Now I don’t worry so much. I am grateful for the family that I have to celebrate Christmas with and I treasure these moments together. Yes it’s lovely to give and receive gifts, but don’t get too anxious about what to buy everyone. A small token of your love is enough.

Ultimately remember what Christmas is all about. To me, it’s about family. Sharing time with those we love, family or friends. It’s about finding peace in our lives, even with those we don’t necessarily agree with. It’s about taking time our from our busy lives, from judgment or criticism of others to finding common ground.

Though Christmas can be a lonely time for so many, it can also be a time of reflection, to think about the past year and what lessons can be learned from it.

Can you find peace this Christmas time? I truly hope so, for I believe that peace resides within all of us. We only need to look within our heart and find the love, compassion and kindness that exists there then send this out to all the world.

Wishing you all a peaceful and very Happy Christmas,

With warmest wishes,

Judy xxxx

Ps. If looking for a Christmas present, my book, “True Essence: Finding your authentic self without compromise,” is available. 

You can buy a signed copy here
Or on Amazon here.

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.

References: Image by Amy from Pixabay

Christmas time is here again.

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Christmas time is here again and another year is nearly over. I really hope it has been a happy and healthy one for you. Christmas is a time of happiness, joy and excitement for many, an occasion for families to come together and an opportunity to rekindle traditions.

As I come from a European background (my parents were Hungarian), our biggest celebration was on Christmas Eve. Christmas actually started for my family with the feast of St Nicholas on the 6th December. My sisters and I would put our shoes outside our bedroom door at night time, to find them filled with fruit, nuts and occasionally sweets, the next morning. St Nicholas was said to have been a very generous man with a love for children.

It was the start of a very exciting month which culminated in the delivery of our Christmas tree by the angels. Our sitting room was locked and the blinds and curtains drawn in preparation for the big day. My sisters and I would look for clues in the garden, searching for pine needles that would show that the angels had been. We would excitedly follow their trail from the front gate, along the garden path, up to the verandah and the french windows that opened onto the sitting room. The tree had arrived and Christmas was nearly here.

Although I didn’t keep up this tradition for my own son, he did grow up believing in Father Christmas and would take ages to get to sleep on Christmas Eve, too excited to close his eyes. Hence my husband and I would set our alarms for the middle of the night so that we could sneak in with a stocking full of presents. We would place these on his bed to surprise him in the morning. The rustle of wrapping paper would greet us the next day and we would go into his bedroom delighting in his joy and excitement. Very special memories.

Christmas to me is a time of giving. A time to include others and share what you have. Very often we have an extra person or two who would otherwise be on their own, to share our Christmas lunch with. Their presence only contributes to the celebrations and enriches our Christmas meal. Although a happy occasion for many, Christmas can also be a sad and lonely time. Not everyone has a family to be with or the love of those close to them. This time of year can also bring up memories of happier times spent with those who are no longer with us.

For Christians, it signifies the birth of Jesus Christ and the love and teachings he brought to the world. It’s also an occasion of ‘togetherness’, a time to think of others and not of ourselves and of showing kindness to those around us.

Christmas time is nearly here and it’s a great opportunity to be grateful and reflect on the past year. It’s easy to get caught up in the shopping frenzy and commercialism, but to me, Christmas is much more than that. Yes it’s lovely receiving gifts but gratitude goes much further. The past few years have been such a mixed bag of worry, fear and anxiety, but they have allowed many of us to re-evaluate our lives and how we live them.

I’m grateful to have rekindled my creativity and passion for writing. Others have found a better work/life balance. Some have moved homes to somewhere less busy and crowded. Silver linings can be found in many difficult situations.

This Christmas, enjoy your time with those you love, give gratitude for what you have and seek out opportunities to live a life you are truly passionate about.

Thank you all for reading these newsletters and sending much gratitude to my lovely clients, who entrust me with their care.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful, healthy and enriching New Year.

With warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

May you all find Happiness this Christmas.

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May you all find Happiness this Christmas, whatever the day may hold for you.

It has certainly been another very challenging year and the future seems uncertain. Yet as this very special time of year, I believe that it’s important to pause and reflect on the year gone by. Not everyone celebrates Christmas and I know that for many, it can be a sad and lonely time. Families get together and tensions may arise. However it’s important to remember that happiness can be found, whatever the circumstances.

I have been fortunate to have very fond memories of Christmas. It was always a magical time for me as a child. It began early with the feast of St Nicholas celebrated on December 6th. My sisters and I would leave our shoes outside our bedroom door, in the hope that they would be filled with small gifts by the morning. If we had been good (we were always told this as an incentive), we would find some nuts, fruit and chocolates waiting for us. Apparently St Nicholas loved children and these tokens were a reminder of the simple things and allowing ourselves to receive. The rest of the month was then spent excitedly waiting for Christmas to arrive.

As I reflect on the past twelve months, despite the difficulties of trying to run a business during the constant lockdowns, there has been a lot to be grateful for. As a family, we have had a lot of time together. This can be stressful at times, but there have been so many laughs and fun times together. We have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries in ways we haven’t before. Although we could not go out for these occasions, we still dressed up and had a lovely meal to make the most of the day.

Often opportunities present when you least expect them to and I have had time to write a book, as well as some poetry. I have also joined a group of creatives, that have supported my endeavours in the artistic field. I have returned to photography and am playing around with painting. No masterpieces yet but it has been fun.

Whatever happens in life, be it illness, loss or some other stress, there is always been some joy to be found. Nature keeps giving to us repeatedly, and it’s so rewarding to spend some time walking in the local area or spending time in the garden. What have you done to bring joy and wonder into your life? It is always there, even if sometimes, you have to look a bit harder.

Give yourself the gift of slowing down, of finding time just for you. It can be hard, as life gets very busy leading up to Christmas, but take an hour or even a few minutes every day. Remember to breathe, give thanks for all that your have and sit in the moment. A new year is around the corner and with that comes the magic of possibility.

May you all find Happiness this Christmas and may it be a peaceful and joyous occasion for you. Thank you so much for your support of Reflexology, all your care and for reading these newsletters. It is all greatly appreciated.

Warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

References: Photo by  Max Beck on Unsplash

It’s almost Christmas time.

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It’s almost Christmas time and nearly the end of another year. 2020 has been a year like no other. We have never experienced so many months of uncertainly, fear, confusion and disruption to our normal lives. Are you just hanging out for it to be over or have you learnt any lessons from it? Were there any benefits to slowing down or was it just a nightmare for you?

I found it a very mixed year. At first I allowed the fear to enter and I became swamped by it. I watched the news every night, worried about closing my clinic, became anxious about catching the virus, feared being in lockdown and was concerned about a lack of income.

But slowly I realised that how I was living was no fun and not sustainable. I couldn’t control external circumstances, but I could change my attitude and how I was living my life. So firstly, I stopped watching the news! This not only reduced my fear levels and that of my family, but it freed up time that I usually spent just staring at a screen.

I signed up for lots of courses, some free and some paid. I worked a lot on my personal development and realised that I was missing the creative aspect of my life. I started to write …. and write…… and write and a book is slowly forming. I had always loved writing as a child but it had long been left behind, along with creative pursuits that were considered a waste of time. I returned to my photography and began painting the flowers that I had captured on my camera.

Suddenly I felt alive again.

I realised that these past few months in lockdown, although not welcome, were an opportunity to re-evaluate my life and find what was missing. I realised that freedom to be me, to explore my passions, needed to have priority. I realised that I could combine my love of Reflexology with my love of the arts and rather than being overwhelmed, I would actually find more peace and time for myself.

What has this year brought up for you? Have you found that you actually crave more freedom and space in your life or have you missed the fast pace of always being on the go? Have you discovered a new hobby or resurrected an old one? I know that many people have returned to gardening or commenced it for the first time. Time to use our hands and connect with nature always has its’ rewards.

Was this year particularly isolating for you? I was blessed to have family at home but I know that many didn’t and found it very hard. I hope that the new freedoms we are now experiencing, particularly here in Australia lead to healing on all levels.

It’s almost Christmas time and each year we buy a live Christmas tree, a precious tradition from my childhood. I love the vibrant green of the branches and the evocative scent of pine that wafts through the house and greets me on rising each morning. It is now up and decorated, ready to be enjoyed by us all.

I know that the clinic has been closed more months than it has been open this year, but I thank you all for your wonderful support and look forward to seeing your beautiful faces next year.

What will the New Year hold for you? I hope it brings with it a sense of hope and optimism and excitement for what is yet to come.

Whatever traditions you hold dear or whichever way you choose to spend this time of year, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

References: Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash.