Mindfully waiting for Christmas

There is a lot of waiting to be done at Christmas time; whether it is waiting for Santa to arrive, waiting in a queue of Christmas shoppers in a store or supermarket, waiting in a traffic jam or just waiting in unexpected circumstances; at some point during the festive period you will be made to wait.

So instead of seeing these enforced and out of your control pauses as frustrating inconveniences, use them to your advantage and treat them as ideal opportunities to exercise mindfulness.

When you find yourself in a queue, stop, notice your breathing and look around you. What do you see, hear, feel and smell? Notice the other people around you, listen carefully to the noises and focus on each individual noise that make up the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Look out for other momentary pauses during your day such as waiting for public transport, waiting in line at your regular morning tea or coffee stop. Again, take time to notice the physical environment around you, the colours, sounds, textures and aromas.

Learn to be in the moment and enjoy it rather than impatiently waiting for the moment to end. Life is hectic, particularly during the festive period, so appreciate these mini-breaks that life provides.

Here at RHG we start our new year of Grow Academy workshops with ‘Being Socially Responsible’ in February.. This is a really enlightening live online session with RHG Head of Responsible Business, Dr Beth Warman. Book your free place by following the link below.

From everyone at RHG, have a lovely festive holiday and a happy and healthy year ahead.