Good morning and welcome to the penultimate (love that word) Mindful Monday for the year – we're almost there...

This email is probably landing in your inbox that's already filled with messages of frustration, disappointment and best laid plans fallen by the wayside. This certainly isn't the Christmas we had all been hoping for and while we've all been putting on the brave face and looking for the silver linings in all that has happened in 2020, this still stings a bit.

This year has taught us many things, and perhaps one of the biggest is that there are many things out of our control that can have a real impact on our lives. But (and it's a big ‘But’) we still have a choice about how we feel about these things, and how we choose to deal with, manage and adapt to our ever-changing circumstances. This is yet another opportunity to choose your reaction, get creative and find an alternative way to see through 2020 and welcome in a new year of potential.

I hope the following offers some ideas for how to make the most of this particularly strange festive season and gear up for 2021, which is sure to be another exciting year.

And remember, we remain open for your important festive season spinal tune ups! So drop us a line to get yourself moving beautifully and neurologically sound...

Breathe

An oldie but a goodie this one. Studies have consistently shown that breathing regularly is good for your health. So good, in fact, that I recommend it to all my clients. (LOL… and mention it regularly in these emails!)

For bonus breathing points, try these:

1. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Gently breathe out and open your eyes. Brill. Do this whenever you feel overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious or just simply pissed off.

2. Let's call this one "advanced breathing for beginners - meditation". We've done this before. Still comfortably, close your eyes and count your breaths (not deep or shallow, just normal). Breathing in is "one", out is "two", in is "three", out is "four"... up to 10. Aaaaaaand... repeat. When/if you catch your mind wandering, simply come back to the counting and start at "one". You're so clever.

Speak clearly and mindfully

We all want to be understood and heard. Here are 40 One-Sentence Communication Tips to help you connect – face to face, Zoom, FaceTime or the old-school phone call...

Any Questions?

John Demartini is famous for saying, "The quality of your life depends on the quality of the questions you ask." I've found this to be consistently true. Here's a great little guide to improving the art of conversation with mindful questions.

Be you, mindfully

We may not always get what we want, but we can always choose who and how we want to be. Sounds weird, but I believe this to be true. Let's try a little exercise in self-evaluation.

Which character traits are you most proud of exhibiting consistently? Where and how do these show up? Three for each please.

Which character traits are you less than proud of and would like to address? When and how do these show up? Again, three of each please.

Now, how could you apply the three "positive" traits to the scenarios that are often associated with the less-than-ideal traits? While it may not be possible to fully exhibit these traits in the most challenging circumstances, perhaps there is a way to at least lean into these more positive attributes that you naturally have inside you?

Journal, blog, or write memos to explore some of these ideas for yourself.

Thanks guys. As you can probably tell, this is not the original email I had lined up and I thank you for allowing me to attempt to salvage some positivity in this most trying time for many. I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and hope you're able to enjoy a restful time.

Happy Christmas,

Luke X

P.S. "The internet has gone crazy over this!!" Ok, probably not, but it is a pretty cool way to rethink wrapping presents.