Christmas stress relief

Looking for some Christmas stress relief, well I have had the chance to read a fabulous ebook called "A Mindful Christmas" by Barbara Kilievicius.  On reading the book it showed how commercial christmas has become and how much stress everyone experiences.  We all run around getting the right gifts, the right decorations,and the food that by the time Christmas day arrives we often feel let down and exhausted.  This book helps you come to terms with having a more meaningful day with less stress.

I had a chance to have a chat with Barbara about her ebook and this was what she had to say about it ...

WHD  What encouraged you to write your book, A mindful Christmas?
 
BK  I have always heard people complaining about Christmas and how it has lost it's meaning and that it was too commercialized. I wasn't having that experience and so I decided that this would be a good way to help people find the meaning and peace of the season.

WHD  Why do you thing that we are moving away from the true meaning of Christmas?
 
BK  Because people have a mind set that everything can be bought. Including meaning and peace. Neither can be bought because they are inner states of being. The over-commercialization of Christmas is a reflection of that.

WHD  What one tip can you give to help everyone have a stress free Christmas?
 
BK  Here is a quote from my book that addresses this perfectly:
 
"We need to fix Christmas. We have to stop buying into the notion that more is better and that extravagant, expensive gifts are equal to how much we care for one another. We need to stop believing that doing it all is productive and having it all is meaningful."

WHD  How can your book help everyone to have a stress free Christmas?
 
BK  It might not be completely stress free! But you can get a better handle on it by planning ahead, keeping it debt free and staying true to your deepest values.

WHD  Do you think that everyone should create a Christmas memory rather than have the worry and stress of what presents to buy?
 
BK  When I asked people to tell me about their favorite Christmas memory nobody mentioned gifts! Most people think that the expense of gifts is very unnecessary!

WHD  Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?
 
BK  There is so much that I would like to add here. It would be impossible to say it all. So I would suggest getting my book and reading it.  This book is written from a spiritual perspective and not a religious one so it is comfortable for all people that celebrate Christmas to read.

Barbara also has an extensive web site, http://www.amindfulchristmas.com/ where you can purchase her ebook "A Mindful Christmas" but she also has a list of charities for you to review if you decide you want to donate some money instead of spending so much on presents and there is also a free download to help you through this Christmas.

Merry Christmas, and try to make it less stressful!