Turning Festive Stress into Peace and Joy

How to Find Peace During the Festive Season

Turning Festive Stress into Peace and Joy: The holiday season is often described as a time of joy, laughter, and togetherness—“the most wonderful time of the year”—but for many parents and caregivers, it can feel more like the most stressful time of the year.

Between the pressure to make everything perfect, the chaos of family gatherings, and the endless to-do lists, it’s easy to get caught up in festive frustration.

And we are not alone in this… kids feel that stress too.

Children can pick up on our emotions, and when adults around them are overwhelmed, kids often react because they don’t have the skills (or abilities yet) to regulate and cope.  So the whole situation becomes a spiral of tension, yet you can still take steps to reclaim your inner peace.

Before you stop reading this blog, thinking “not another thing for my list” – take a breath.

It’s not another ‘to do’ on your list.

It’s a few moments gifted to you to explore how a few simple, mindful activities can help you stay centered, calm, and connected with your kids—creating more peace for all this Christmas.

1. Mindful Eating with Festive Treats

Food plays a huge part in the festivities, but so often we get lost in overindulging without thinking about how it makes us feel. Sugary treats and rich meals can quickly lead to sugar highs and crashes—not just for the kids but for us too!

Try introducing a little bit of mindfulness when eating. Help your kids notice where their food comes from and how it connects to nature. For example, when enjoying a holiday sweet like chocolate or candy canes, take a moment to talk about the journey of those ingredients: how cocoa beans grow in the warm sun and how sugar canes are harvested from the earth after absorbing the energy of sunshine and rain.

To make it even more mindful, after a bite of their favourite treat, encourage them to notice:

• What do they hear as they chew?
• What taste does it leave in their mouth?
• Can they feel it moving through their body after they swallow?

Mindful eating isn’t just about slowing down; it’s about helping kids understand their relationship with food and encouraging them to savour the experience.  Plus, it helps everyone use a regular activity (eating) to practice some mindful moments!

2. Santa’s List: The Power of Giving 

Kids often write lists to Santa asking for things they want for Christmas. And that’s okay.

But we can bring some mindful gratitude into this worldwide practice.  Flip that idea and focus on gratitude and giving.  They could write another list to Santa, but this time for someone else—someone they care about. The key here is mindful gratitude: ask them to think about what they would like to give, whether it’s a specific item, a feeling, or even a thought they want to share with a loved one (human or pets!)

Help them imagine how that person would feel if the gift were delivered – the joy they would feel. This simple act helps kids bring a mindful, empathic moment into the day, sending ripples of kindness through the world.

3. Heart-filled Christmas 

This mindful craft activity is another opportunity to channel a peaceful energy.

Cut out circles from plain paper (any colour) and put a small hole in the top to feed a string through.  On each one, encourage them to draw a heart and a word or picture that represents something they’d like to give to someone they care about.

These can be shared with family members or friends to hang on their tree, or used as reminders to focus on positive emotions throughout the day.

4. Mindful Meditation: Festive Tree of Light

To help kids (and adults) unwind, guide them through a calming visualisation meditation.

Imagine sitting next to a beautiful Christmas tree, filled with glowing coloured lights. Each light represents a special feeling, gift, or positive thought that they can share with someone else. Ask your children to imagine sending each light to someone they care about, and notice how it makes them feel.

You can expand this activity by helping them focus on their breath, taking a deep inhale for each light, and exhaling as they send that light out into the world. This simple meditation helps with a sense of connection and calm, helping everyone feel centered.

5. Winter Wonderland Meditation

For a more dynamic mindful meditation, you could guide your kids on a magical “sleigh ride” through a snowy winter landscape in their imagination.

Guide them to close their eyes and imagine the sights and sounds: the wind in their hair, the sound of reindeer bells, the soft crunch of snow beneath the sleigh. As you guide them through this winter wonderland, encourage them to notice how they can feel—free, joyful, and calm.

Creating a Mindful Christmas

By slowing down and focusing on the present, you and your children can experience a Christmas that isn’t just about the presents, the food, or the decorations, but about the joy of being together. So, take a deep breath, let go of perfection, and be in the moment.

Happy holidays—and may they be peaceful and bright!