1. Set an alarm for 90 minutes, and when it goes off, spend 5 minutes paying attention to your breath. If five minutes is too long, take one minute. Repeat.
2. Postpone 5 items from your list until December 26 (or, better, January 2) and add 5 fun items –or just one.
3. Take a 10 minute walk in your neighborhood and notice the Christmas lights. If 10 minutes is too long, take 5.
4. Sing a favorite carol to yourself on your way to work. (Note: it doesn’t matter if you can’t sing. No one will hear. If you take public transit, sing it to yourself in your head.) Pay attention to the words.
5. Call your favorite family member and tell them you only have a few minutes, but you just wanted to hear their voice this week.
6. Watch 30 minutes of your favorite Christmas movie. (If it’s a Charlie Brown Christmas, you can watch the whole thing).
7. Find a worship service on the 23rd or 24th that is at a different time from yours and go be a pew-sitter.
8. Sit down to eat one of the Christmas goodies you’ve gotten from a church lady. Really taste it and enjoy it.
9. Turn off your phone for one hour a day.
10. Take 5 minutes every morning and write 5 things to celebrate about that day.
What ideas do you have to give yourself some space this week?