Life squared tells you how

It’s that time of year again – the commercial build up to Christmas started long ago.

And now many of us are approaching it with an ever-growing list of things to do and buy, and a feeling that we’re entering a busy and stressful period rather than looking forward to a restful and fun holiday.

Many people feel that Christmas has become over-commercialised and that we’ve lost sight of the things that make it special, like spending time with friends, family and loved ones, celebrating, resting and showing compassion and generosity.

Some of the general problems of modern life seem to become even stronger at Xmas time. For example, the grip of consumerism on our lives becomes tighter, as we’re bombarded with more adverts and told that the only way to show people that we care at Christmas is to buy them more stuff.

Our lives can also become even more rushed and pressurised as we try to cram as many things as possible into the holiday period – for example, rushing to finish the Christmas shopping, trying to visit several sets of friends and relatives and taking responsibility for doing all the cooking and preparation.

In the midst of all this pressure and stress it can be difficult for us to remember the things that really matter to us at Christmas and the steps we can take to build more of them into the festive period.

We simply need to remember that we are in control of our lives and can create the Christmases we want – we don’t have to endure the commercialised and rushed version of Christmas that seems to be the modern norm.

There are many steps we can take to improve our experience of Christmas, and many of these involve spending less – rather than more – money, which is a relief in these financially stretched times. For example, showing generosity at Christmas often doesn’t have to involve spending money on people – it might involve giving them time, helping them or listening to them. The important thing is to give or do things that really matter to the other person – and this might often be something other than a material gift that you’ve spent lots of money on. It’s not about buying loads of stuff – it’s about doing things with love and care.

Another important aspect of Christmas for many of us is spending time with other people, and there are many things we can do to get the most out of this, including inviting neighbours round for a drink, watching less TV and showing hospitality to friends who don’t have anything arranged for Christmas. We can also give ourselves the chance to have a more restful Christmas by prioritising our time, only doing essential tasks and asking other people to help us with those tasks we have to do.

Many of these steps to simplify and take control of our Christmases support another important point – the need to live sustainably. Christmas can be a time of enormous waste and environmental impact, and this is often driven by our thirst for more material goods and our supply systems importing food, gifts and other goods from around the world. By seeking a more meaningful and relaxed Christmas, we may find ourselves consuming less and living more sustainably – for example, by making presents, decorations and some Xmas food rather than buying imported products that have high ‘Christmas miles’.

At Life², we’ve developed a guide on how to have a happy, wise and meaningful Christmas, called Xmas². The booklet has ideas and practical tips on how you can have a memorable festive experience – one with less consumerism and waste, and with more of the things that make festive celebrations great, including people, fun, relaxation, generosity, compassion and the opportunity to reflect.

This doesn’t have to be about restoring more religious meaning to Christmas – it’s about remembering what’s important, in both Christmas and life generally.

It is available as a download from www.lifesquared.org.uk for free until Xmas. We hope it helps you to have a fabulous festive period!