Savour Christmas and savour your food

In the mad, busy, run up to Christmas it is easy to get swept up in trying to get through a long to-do list and in trying to keep up with the commercial expectations of Christmas. I think it’s time to slow down, to savour the moment, and to savour our food…

1. If you have kids, try and see Christmas through their eyes – it’s magical! If you don’t have kids around borrow some for a day. A simple piece of tinsel can hold their attention for ages. Cast your mind back to when you were a child. Can you remember how it felt and what was special for you?


2. Think about what you enjoyed about last year’s Christmas season. Ask your family the same. Ask them:

• What do you remember most about last Christmas? 
• What did you like best?
• Was there something you didn’t like about the holiday season (eg too many activites, trying to fit too many people in?) How would you change it?
• If we could only do three things to celebrate Christmas, what would they be?

Try and focus on repeating the good bits and don’t get cajoled into doing the things that are “expected” of you, if you really don’t enjoy them. And take short – cuts without giving yourself a hard time. Talk to people about “obligations” and see if you can find a way around them (a 3 day visit after Christmas may be better than a few hours on the day for example)

3. Enjoy the process. Putting up the tree can be one of the best bits of Christmas, for example. Get the kids to make their own decorations, and I’d like you to let me know what proportion of the baubles you left where the kids hung them and how many you felt compelled to “improve” on! (Perfectionism course coming out next year…)

4. Enjoy each day in the run up to Christmas. Christmas day itself can become an anti-climax. Better to have lots of special moments in the run up to Christmas. Get the kids involved in buying or making presents and wrapping them up. And, if they are crafty, there are loads of things they can do: www.netmums.com/things/Thrifty_Christmas_-_Christmas_Crafts.1757/

5. Make time for quiet time out – a family dvd, board games or just a walk in the crisp air.

6. Make presents as personal as possible. Think of the presents you have treasured most. For me, they are the ones that people have made for me, or have put a lot of thought and effort into. If you’ve got time, hampers are a great way to create something personal. NetMums have some great ideas: www.netmums.com/shop/Christmas_hampers.3611/. Of course, any photo products will be treasured and doing something crafty, such as ceramics, can be priceless too.

7. Try and help someone who is less fortunate. However tight the purse strings are this Christmas, there are many worse off. Donate your time or money to give someone food and love who would otherwise be missing out, visit a pensioner or homeless refuge.

8. Savour your food – one of the best tips for making sure you don’t over-eat during this festive period is to savour every treat. Look at it, smell it, nibble it and let it linger in your mouth for as long as possible. There are no taste buds in your stomach, so you may as well maximise the amount you taste it. Slow down and you will enjoy it more and you’ll be less likely to over-indulge.

9. Plan something fun to do the week after Christmas so that you don't feel any post Christmas let down. Plan to go to an event, take a little trip, or plan a get together with friends.