Taking Stock

I wanted to share with you a great habit that I was taught to carry out at the turn of the year, and which has served me well .. which is reflecting on what happened in the past year and how I handled it.

I love the quiet time in between Christmas and New Year and I made a commitment to myself a while ago to take this time for myself, for quiet enjoyment of the season, the weather, and taking a look back over the past twelve months.

Life has a habit of throwing the unexpected in our way (thanks 2020!), however well we plot and plan our lives, and often I’ll be surprised at the things that happened that I could never have predicted the year before. Sometimes these are wonderful and sometimes less so: in examining how I responded I find clues to who I am and how I’m showing up in my life and others’

So maybe you’d like to join me. Carve out a little space for yourself in the next few days to ask these questions:

What happened in this past year that I could never have predicted?

How did I respond? Was that helpful to me and those around me?

Who was important to me in the past year?

What one thing would I have liked to be different?

What would I like to do differently in this coming year?

I’d love to hear your thoughts .. do you have any other questions you’ve found useful?

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 24 . Take 5

You might be slap bang in the middle of the last day of holiday prep today .. last minute cards to drop off, ticking items off your to do list, some will still be working .. and it’s tricky to move instantly from that ‘doing’ state of mind to the ‘being’ and ‘feeling’ one we value more at home .. so today take 5 minutes to work out what helps you make that transition .. maybe a shower when you get home, a run, a 10 minute sit down with a cup of something calming after the kids are in bed, a minute of mindful breathing or a 5 minute stretch ..

One Mindful Minute
* To prepare breathe normally while counting your breaths for one minute
* Once you know how many breaths you take in a minute sit somewhere comfortable where you won’t be disturbed
* Close your eyes
* Concentrate on the breath entering and exiting your body while counting each breath
* When you reach the number of breaths you usually take in a minute (around 13-16), open your eyes, come back into the room and give thanks for this moment of peace

Peace Be With You.

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 17 . Share Something New

After a while together it’s easy to assume the people we know also know everything about you, but stop a minute and think about that ..in reality you go out and learn new stuff every day, you’re constantly changing and growing and there’s no way others can keep up with all those new bits of you ..

So share something that others don’t know about you today .. we’ve all been forced to change in lots of ways in 2020 .. maybe you took up running this year, or learned to crochet Star Wars characters ..

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 16 . High Five

Sometimes it’s tempting to take the good things for granted and only focus on the things people do wrong .. we can have long conversations with our friends and family about the difficulties they’re having.

How about taking some time to high five someone you know for something they do or have been doing really well .. this year maybe more than any other we could all do with a reminder of the efforts we’ve been putting in.

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 13 . Picture This!

Nothing is more meaningful than when we take the time to find the right image to go with a message, so today think about finding a great gif or photo to show someone you care about how you feel. You could even draw, craft or paint something.

Get creative, and spread the love ..

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 12 . Share an extra moment

We’re so used to quickly capturing a moment in time, publishing it and moving on.

Take just six seconds today to stop, and share a moment in real time .. 6 seconds that will bring you closer with someone you’re with .. if you’re alone right now, use that 6 seconds to bring someone to mind you care about, and notice how that changes how you feel in your body.

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 10 . Look After Yourself

Today’s a reminder that it’s important to take care of ourselves so that we have enough left over to show up in our relationships with others.

So schedule some time out today, buy yourself something lush, just stop for ten minutes and have a cup of tea, or luxuriate in the bath with some bubbles ..

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 9 . Spell it out

Words mean a lot to some people and less to others.

If words are important to someone you know why not write them a note to let them know how you feel .. or if you have writer’s block pop into a card shop and find the perfect message.

I’ve decided to take a little more time over my Xmas cards this year, to make my words a bit more personal and to the extra time to think about and appreciate how my relationships have sustained me over the past year.

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 8 . Smiley Culture

Have you ever tried walking round smiling all day? Smiling at strangers?

As well as people thinking you’re slightly unhinged I’m sure others will have smiled back, because smiling is infectious!!

Give it a go today, and if you’re wearing a mask, see if you can smile with your eyes.

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing

Relationships Advent Calendar . Day 7 . Step out of your comfort zone

It’s good to be shifted out of our routines .. once our relationships develop it’s easy to do the same things day to day. But doing new things together stimulates us to feel affection and encourages us to communicate more.

One of the things I’ve noticed about this year’s pandemic is that it’s jolted me out of my habits and forced me to find new ways of doing things. Friendships have deepened and I’ve got to know people in different ways .. who knew one of my colleagues has a chainsaw certificate!!

I invite you to reflect back on what and how you’ve done things differently this year, how that’s affected your relationships with others, and stay open to making this one thing you commit to continuing once all this is past.

#adventcalendar #adventchallenge #relationships #wellbeing