IT’S ONLY HOW MANY DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS?

Coming home from Aberdeen this weekend I was having one of those moments where for once I felt as if I was actually in control of my life.

Apart from the heating not working on the very long journey I had been very productive, cleared the backlog of paperwork, seen clients, bought a couple of pressies online and made some plans for impending daughter’s second birthday party and our wedding anniversary ( all on the same day – 5 days before Christmas).

So all in all I felt quite smug when I walked back in the back door. I had the Indian take away sorted as I happily let the mutts. I was truly feeling like I finally had this working mum malarkey nailed.

I should have known better than to tempt fate!!!

As I went in to check on Lucy was smuggled up I was met with a smile that would melt your heart … followed very closely by projectile vomit. Baby 1, New black leather jacket 0!

And there we had it. In that instant I knew every minute detail of the next 48 hours would see my plans, client meetings, deadlines and Christmas decorating vanish up the lum as Lucy’s technicolor roadshow came to town!

Surely, I thought as we encountered a quiet spell, I can just pop an email across to a client and finish decorating the tree. When will I learn? Let’s just say our tree ended up with a coating of something that neither resembled nor smelled like snow. Even my laptop keys are still sticking as I bang away now.

So, as I looked at myself in the mirror trying to identify the strange substance in my hair, I could feel my eyes begin to prickle with tears. I decided it was time for a me to have a can of ‘practice what you preach lady’.

I took a deep breath and wrote down what I needed to do to get myself back under control. Six little rules which can turn things around in a few minutes: 1- Put things in perspective. There is rarely something which can’t be done tomorrow. So don’t stress about it.

2- So what if the house is a mess? At least it doesn’t smell of baby sick any more. Just look around and appreciate the home I have.

3- Ask the question “So what?” The answer is rarely as bad as you think.

4- It only takes a couple of minutes to take a couple of deep breaths and do a couple of stretches or yoga moves to release that tension and instantly feel better 5- Be mindful and thankful that I have the chance to do it all again tomorrow. The current stresses are just minor bugs and I’ll deal with them.

6- Look forward to a bath and a large glass of mindfulness!

Life is so much easier when we don’t place unrealistic expectations on ourselves of how something or someone should be. We need to live each day as it comes and deal with situations as they arrive. No one thinks any less of us. They’re mostly oblivious constantly striving for perfection.

The past is the past and no-one truly knows what the future will bring. So all we really have and all we can control is today. So live in the present and savour it. After all if this day was to be your last how would you want it to be filled?

And last of all listen to that part inside that says ‘if you’re happy – then tell your face!’ Have a very merry Christmas Sandie x

Sandie Robertson is a respected lifestyle coach, wellness expert, hypnotherapist trainer and bestselling author of “I Believe I can” An expert on anxiety and stress management she has helped hundreds of clients with problems from weight loss to sports performance, trauma to grief. If want her to help you contact her on www.sandierobertson.com