10 ways that take less than 1 minute to mindfully navigate the energy of a bustling Christmas family gathering.

Christmas can sometimes bring a whirlwind of over stimulation, making it easy to lose ourselves in the noise.

Navigating the energy of a bustling family gathering provides a wonderful opportunity for finding stillness within the movement.

Practicing mindfulness enables us to reclaim our peace and transform a stressful marathon into a series of vivid, cherished memories.

By grounding the body, the nervous system settles, ensuring Christmas Day is actually felt rather than just survived.

Here’s ten ways to practice mindfulness in under 1 minute on Christmas Day. Start creating your oasis of calm right now.:

1. Feeling into the Weight of the body on the Chair
While sitting during the Christmas dinner, bringing awareness to the points of contact between the body and the chair, and noticing the support of the seat beneath the thighs and the spine.

2. Observing the Steam from the Kettle
Standing in the kitchen while the tea is being made, watching the plumes of steam rising from the spout, and noticing the swirling patterns as they dissipate into the air.

3. Savouring the First Bite
Bringing a small piece of Christmas pudding or a mince pie to the mouth, noticing the complex textures of the fruit and spices, and lingering on the sensations of tasting before swallowing.

4. Tuning Into the Hum of Conversation
Allowing the many voices of the room to become a single chorus, noticing the rise and fall of the volume and the melody of the laughter without needing to follow any specific story.

5. Resting the Eyes on a Decoration
Finding a single bauble or a bit of holly on the mantlepiece, softening the gaze, and noticing the way the light reflects off the surface while the busy world continues around it.

6. Noticing the Temperature of the Glass
While holding a drink, feeling the cool smoothness of the glass against the fingertips, and noticing the sensation of the liquid moving as the hand tilts.

7. Smoothing the Cracker Paper
Touching a discarded paper crown or a piece of cracker wrap, noticing the crinkled texture against the skin, and observing the bright colours of the paper without any judgment.

8. Softening the Shoulders During the Toast
While sitting for a toast, noticing any tension held in the tops of the shoulders, and allowing them to drop away from the ears during the act of raising a glass.

9. Witnessing the Passing of Plates
Observing the hands of loved ones as they reach and pass the sprouts or the gravy boat, noticing the coordination of the movement and the flow of giving and receiving.

10. Counting Three Breaths in the Hallway
Stepping into a quieter space like the hallway or the landing for a moment, noticing the cool air in the lungs, and simply counting three cycles of the breath before returning to the group.
Follow Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness for more ways to be mindfully calm

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A new group has been formed on World Suicide Prevention Day (Tuesday, 10th September) to open up a safe space for men in the Scottish Borders to talk with peers about anything that is worrying them including suicidal thoughts.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, suicide is the most common cause of death in the UK for men under the age of 50. The number of deaths by suicide rose by 11.8% in the UK in 2018 with 75% of all suicides occurring in men (Office for National Statistics 2019).

While all the underlying reasons for this aren’t yet fully understood, it has been suggested that some of the risk factors may include*:

• Societal pressure on men to be seen as strong and not talk about emotions because to express emotion is seen to be weak.
• Men may be less likely to admit when they feel vulnerable including to a doctor.
• Stigmatising threats to identity such as job loss or societal standing in a community. One study for example, has shown that for every 1% increase in unemployment there is a 0.79% increase in the suicide rate (Guido Van Hal, 2015).

The new group has been formed by men who after struggling found support in talking and in mindfulness. Everyone in the group felt it was very important to get a message out that “it’s okay to talk”, because that’s what they had found most beneficial. Group members said:

“I felt a certain stigma that was attached to me being a man that I couldn't do what was needed by myself. The more issues I had to deal with the more I became detached from humanity. The more I became detached from humanity the closer I got to loneliness, despair  and  overwhelmed with negative, damaging emotions. Knowing it was okay to talk was half the battle. Noticing the moments of anguish are key to recovery.”

“I was lucky. I had someone who knew me, who encouraged me to talk and seek help. He helped me get over the irrational stigma of feeling that low, that I couldn't show a weakness of character a chink in my armour. I would encourage all men who find themselves feeling this way to talk. It's hugely important to offer that helping hand to guide someone back to health.  To be able to once again see life and love, outside the blinkers of isolation suicidal thoughts give us. And I've found a way, through Mindfulness, of managing the random and intrusive thoughts that still haunted me before then.”

Group members identified that speaking together removed the sense that each was alone in the world with their dark thoughts and emotions. The new group is open to all men who may find themselves in this position, where they will find others who have experienced something similar.

The group is not a therapy group and participants would always be encouraged to seek professional support. While all of the participants in the group to date met through Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness, the group is not a mindfulness provider. Anyone wanting more information about the men’s peer discussion group can contact Brian Turnbull on 07462 891 549.

Anyone in immediate distress can contact the Samaritans 24 hours a day on 116 123 for free.