A Very Mindful Christmas

Mental Health

Christmas can be a wonderful time for creating memories, but the season’s indulgent habits and irregular routines can impact your sleep. Instead of focusing on the challenges, embracing positive changes can help you enjoy a restful and joyous festive period. Here’s how to make the most of the fun without exhausting yourself and having better sleep during the holidays:

Indulge Smartly

  • While Christmas parties might tempt you with rich food and drinks, timing matters. Opt for sleep-friendly snacks like almonds, bananas, or dairy-based treats high in tryptophan. These can help your body relax before bed

Schedule Downtime

  • The festive rush can feel overwhelming. Prioritise calm moments to recharge, whether it’s a cosy bath, a book, or light yoga before bedtime. These routines help signal your body that it’s time to wind down

Your Environment

  • Embrace the dark! Use blackout curtains or creatively hang blankets to keep out any bright holiday lights from neighbours. A cool, clutter-free room can make all the difference for a peaceful night so its good to have a clear out ready for the big day.

Festive Fun for Kids

  • For families, manage children’s excitement on Christmas Eve by encouraging active daytime play with fresh air if you can, followed by calming evening routines. A festive smoothie or Christmas story time can add magic without disrupting sleep .

Mindful Celebrations

  • Rather than cutting out festive drinks altogether, enjoy them earlier in the day. Swap late-night caffeine or alcohol for chamomile tea or a warm, milky drink .

These simple adjustments let you embrace the season’s joy while keeping your sleep on track. A well-rested holiday makes the magic of Christmas even brighter!

Mental Health Useful Resources

Starting a regular habit of meditation can help us to improve concentration, reduce...
Learn to manage negative thoughts and look at problems differently
Fabulous! Is a motivational app that uses challenges to help build physically and...
Personalised Exercise Plans
Guided meditations
Active 10 is a free and easy to use walking app that tracks your walking and shows you...
Trusted information for people who self-harm or feel suicidal Concerned about self-harm?...
Your New Daily Workout for Life Welcome to your versatile and practical mental fitness...
What is Calm: Sleep & Meditation? Calm: Sleep & Meditation is a wellness app...
No matter your circumstances or position, Find Help NI simplifies the process of finding...
Wysa is your cute, emotional health buddy and well being tracker. It fits right in your...
The Sorted app is accredited by NHS digital - a mark of its effectiveness, safety and...
Boost your happiness and create a kinder world while doing it with the Action for...
Here2Help has been developed by a local initiative from people who want to make the range...
Handle stress and anxiety on the go
Moodpath: Depression and Anxiety is a written mood journal that uses progress reports and...
What's Up? can help you cope with anxiety, stress and feelings of depression. It has...
MoodMission helps you learn new and better ways of coping with low moods and anxiety...
Clear Fear is an app developed for teenage mental health charity Stem4 which uses the...
MindShift CBT is a free self-help anxiety relief app, that helps you reduce worry, stress...
Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM) offers a range of self-help methods to help you...
Support to resist self-harm
Guided meditations
It’s an easy to follow programme known the world over, and perfect for those new to...
Whether you're feeling sad, anxious and stressed, or you're dealing with constant...
SuperBetter is a tool created by game designers to help you build resilience and get...

Mental Health Helplines & Web Chats

Samaritans
Action Mental Health
Association for Post-Natal Illness Helpline
Aware NI - Support Groups
Aware NI - Online Support Groups
Mind - Side by Side Online Community