3 Ways to Have Less Stress at Christmas This Year
We walk to the hill where the fir and spruce trees mingle in a dozen shades of emerald. Within milliseconds, the youngest falls into the thorny branches of a hawthorn crabapple, and the oldest is tangled in a knot of burdock. I take a deep breath and ask God to help me push back against stress at Christmas this year.
Later in the day, after the tree is wired to the wall in the corner of the living room, I reflect on my desire for peace this Christmas.
It dawns on me as the Christmas bulbs glow in a rainbow of color: Peace on Earth has already come to dwell among us. The Prince of Peace left his throne and came down to walk on this muddy planet alongside us. Meanwhile, I’m so busy keeping up with the pace of my calendar that I’m missing him.
How to Reduce Stress at Christmas
The thought takes me back to a journey I took last year at this time (read about it here). I was trying to figure out how to navigate my new life with three kids, and the Lord led me to a single word: Sacramental.
I sensed God inviting me to show up and participate in my daily moments with the same sort of mindfulness as in the slow, spiritual act of taking the Lord’s Supper. It was a season of learning to wash dishes, fold laundry, cook dinner, and eat meals in a way that was wholly present, fully mindful, and always watching for Emmanuel, God with us.
This year, I invite you to join me as we push back against stress at Christmas by embracing a sacramental mindset in the tasks set before us. Here’s what this might look like:
1. Pair prayer with a repetitive Christmas task.
Consider your least favorite Christmas task. Does wrapping gifts send you over the edge? Do you feel frazzled and stressed as you pull the boxes from the shelves in the basement and try to untangle the long strings of lights? Does the cooking, baking, card-sending, or shopping overwhelm you with stress at Christmas?
Last year I tried something new: Pairing my two least favorite Christmas tasks with prayer. I prayed for my loved ones as I wrapped their gifts in the quiet of the basement, and I prayed for my friends as I addressed the tall stack of Christmas cards.
I refused to hurry through these two tasks. My mindset was to encounter God as I used my time to bless loved ones with cards and gifts.
Something inside me shifted. Instead of burdens to complete, these tasks offered space for my soul to rest while I worked—a space that felt like a sanctuary.
Imagine what your life would look like if you picked one routine daily task and decided to transform the task into a quiet escape with God. When it’s time to complete the task, you go to a quiet place, lose yourself in the moment, and open your heart to receive impressions from the Lord.
You talk to him. He breathes life into you. You are restored.
Christmas is the perfect time to begin this habit of creating sanctuary tasks in your life. Instead of hiding inside of a bag of Doritos or a box of Twinkies—instead of slipping away into a Netflix binge or an hour scrolling through some social media feed—pick one household task that must be done, pursue it slowly, and meet with God in the process.
2. Cut back on stress at Christmas by carving out space to feed your soul.
What feeds your soul?
Long walks beneath open skies, quiet candlelit moments, worship music, and good books fill my soul.
This time of year is a good time to create space for activities that feed your soul every single day for even ten minutes per day.
Turn out the lights, turn off the screens, and tune into some Christmas music while you bask in the glow of your Christmas tree for an evening. Drink hot cocoa and read a good book. Take a long walk over the frozen earth. Play board games with your kids. Build a snowman. Knit a scarf. Paint a landscape. Dust off the piano. Try out a new recipe.
Lastly, instead of getting caught up in all you have to do this month, create space each day for something you want to do. Make it non-negotiable.
3. Reduce stress at Christmas by chasing beauty.
Throughout the next few weeks, pause amid your ordinary tasks and find something beautiful. Stand there with it for just a few seconds longer than you might normally stick around.
It might be a clean cup in the dish drainer or a white beam of afternoon sunlight. It could be the easy smile on the face of a loved one or the lacy frost on a morning windowpane.
Pause.
Notice.
Give thanks.
The King of Kings bent down from heaven and came to live among us. He wants to shower you with good gifts every day of your life. No matter how dark this season is for you, chase beauty today. Beauty surrounds us every day. We are often too rushed to notice.
A Devotional to Help You Connect With God This Advent
Would you like to step out of the rushed pace of this season and have deeper peace as you prepare for Christmas? Still My Soul will help you create space to connect with God in meaningful ways as you prepare your heart to celebrate the birth of Christ next month.
Every day of Advent, you will be gently invited to slow down, be more present within your moments, and cultivate gratitude instead of stress. Get your eBook right here for just $3.99. This payment will help offset the cost of keeping this blog running. I sincerely appreciate your support!
These Books Make Great Christmas Gifts
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!
Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by these books! You can buy them as paperbacks or get your free Kindle Unlimited eBooks on Amazon right here.
A Book for Every Christian Woman
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book for free on Kindle Unlimited as an ebook or for 12.99 in print here. (If you do not have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can sign up for a free three-month trial.)
