THE NON FLUFF EMOTIONAL STUFF™

Choosing Joy: How to Protect Your Peace This Christmas Season

Ahh Christmas… the season of twinkling lights, endless to-do lists, family expectations, and the occasional emotional wobble. It’s beautiful—and big. And if we’re not mindful, it can sweep us up faster than a shopping trolley on a steep hill.

But here’s the good news:

You get to choose how you experience this season.

You get to choose your pace.

You get to choose your peace.

You get to choose your joy.

This isn’t about pretending everything is rosy.

It’s about deciding who you want to be within the busyness.

1. Start With an Emotional Intention

Before December hits full speed, pause and ask yourself:

How do I want to feel this Christmas?
What energy do I want to bring into my home?
What memory do I want to create for myself (and my family)?

Write your intention down. Stick it on the fridge. Pop it in your journal. Make it your anchor.

When things start to spiral, come back to that intention. Let it guide you.

2. Drop the Festive 'Shoulds'

We all know the Christmas “shoulds”:

I should host.
I should buy more.
I should go to that event.
I should keep everyone happy.

Here’s the truth—‘should’ is the quickest way to self-abandonment.

Instead, try:

👉 “Does this align with my emotional intention?”

👉 “Is this adding to my peace or draining it?”

Your worth is not measured by how much you do before the 25th.

3. Create Micro-Moments of Joy

You don’t need a silent retreat to feel calm again—you just need pockets of presence.

Try adding 60-second joy anchors into your day:

Light a candle and take three deep breaths
Listen to a favourite Christmas song
Make your tea and sip it without multitasking
Step outside and feel the air on your skin
Write down one thing that feels good

These tiny resets soothe the nervous system and remind your brain, “We’re safe. We’re okay.”

4. Protect Your Emotinal Boundaries

Christmas can bring people together—and sometimes bring up old patterns.

A few gentle boundary phrases you can practice:

“That doesn’t work for me this year.”
“I’m keeping our plans simple.”
“We’ll need to leave by 8pm.”
“I’d love to catch up, but let’s choose a quieter day.”

Boundaries aren’t walls—they’re emotional self-care.

5. Choose What You Want to Remember

A powerful question I often ask is:

“What do you want your future self to remember about this season?”

Not the rush.

Not the chaos.

Not the panic wrapping at midnight.

You’ll remember the laughter.

The slow moments.

The times you actually allowed yourself to enjoy it.

So choose more of that.

6. Let Joy Be Imperfect

Your Christmas doesn’t need to be Pinterest-worthy to be meaningful.

Burnt pavlova?

Forgotten presents?

Kids bickering?

A schedule that didn’t go to plan?

Welcome to being human.

Joy lives in the messy bits too.

A Loving Final Note

This Christmas, choose yourself.

Choose your energy.

Choose your peace.

Choose joy—not as a feeling that magically arrives, but as a gentle, daily decision.

Because joy isn’t a destination.

It’s a choice you make, moment by moment.

And you, beautiful soul, are worthy of a joyful season.

CHOOSING JOY IS JUST ONE CLICK AWAY! SHOP NOW >

Written by Alisa Pettit

It’s never too late for a lane change. Insite Mind is the brainchild of one woman who after a decade spinning in the hamster wheel of the accounting world gave it up to live out her heart work. But it didn’t come without challenge and a little nudge from the universe in the form of a book Dealing with Difficult People. Upon opening it Alisa was surprised to find in black and white text “maybe it’s you”. So after several ego deaths and many personal development books along the way Alisa Pettit found her way to coaching. Now a fully fledged positive mindset coach and personal mastery guru Ali’s work helps people find their way through mindset teachings.

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