On the first day of Christmas (and every day afterwards) the Christmas Fairy gives to you More Me Time. Take at least 10 minutes each day to do something just for you. This could be going for a walk, relaxing with a cup of tea and a good book, or staying in bed for an extra 10 minutes. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that you want to do and that it’s all about you.

More Time Generally. For this the Christmas Fairy brings you the superpower of saying No. Not with any excuse or guilt or long, long justifications. Simply say No. Remember that ‘No’ is a full sentence – it doesn’t need anything added to be clear. What will you choose to fill the space that was taken up by those things you were saying Yes to? Perhaps more Me time?

Take some Baby Steps. Set yourself a goal, for anything at all and look at the first step you want to take towards it. Many people fail in their goals because they try to attempt giant leaps towards them. The Christmas Fairy reminds you that many small steps is how you climb a mountain, how you win a promotion, how you keep your relationship strong, how you learn a new skill, how you maintain a friendship … and how you reach a goal. What first tiny step will you take towards your goal?

Find a New Best Friend. We are often our own worst enemy. We beat ourselves up, talk ourselves down and generally don’t believe in ourselves. The Christmas Fairy asks how would it be if you treated yourself, supported yourself, believed in yourself and generally cared for yourself in the way that you do for your best friend? What positive difference would that make to how you approach the world? What is the first thing you will do for yourself as your own new best friend? How about helping plan the first Baby Step, or take some Me Time?

Five Gold Rings and a Tiny Celebration. We all have achievements all of the time – making the bus on time, finishing that piece of work within the deadline, finding that book you’ve been looking for, finally writing that tricky email that you’ve been putting off for ages. The next time you achieve something like that, the Christmas Fairy allows you to mark it with a tiny celebration. Your celebration could be a 10-minute break for a cup of tea, buying your favourite magazine on the way home, indulging in some trashy TV, a 10-minute stretch or a walk around the block. It doesn’t matter how you celebrate, except that the Christmas Fairy instructs that it must make you feel good. While you’re doing it, make a link back to your achievement in your mind. This helps you to pay attention and notice the positive achievements in your life, whatever size they are.

Some Designated Down Time. This is time where you switch off from all the demands from the world around you – from colleagues, friends, family, social media – or whatever feels demanding to you. The Christmas Fairy gives you the OK to disconnect from it for as long as you need, to feel refreshed. 10 minutes? Half an hour? The whole of Christmas? Yes it really is OK to do this because the Christmas Fairy has granted you this gift!

Behind the last door of the Advent Calendar is the ‘Good Enough’ Technique. Christmas is a time when many of us feel that things should be ‘perfect’, or that we are somehow a failure. The Christmas Fairy knows how much pressure that puts on you, so she waves her wand and says “Instead of trying to be perfect, be ‘good enough’!” When you wrap presents, it’s good enough if they are covered – you don’t need to spend a fortune on designer paper. It’s good enough to have turkey (or whatever your celebratory choice of food might be) and the rest can be like any other meal. It’s good enough to get just some of the family together, if not all of them. It’s good enough to take a whole day off even if you can’t afford to go away – treat yourself to some Me time at home. It’s good enough to sleep without the alarm clock, even if you don’t manage a lie in. It’s good enough to choose to do what you want to do, even if your friends and family expect different.

The Christmas Fairy says it’s good enough for her to bring you these seven Special Gifts, without expensive wrapping! Enjoy some of them or all of them, as much as you need to over the festive period, into the New Year and all the way through 2022!