We all know what December means, the festive spirit is well and truly upon us and after the year we’ve had it couldn’t have come fast enough.
Now with the Christmas month well and truly underway we have our beloved advent calendar to work our way through.
Yes you can finally crack open a little window every day to find that little treat behind the cardboard door.
We’re going to guess you got a chocolate one?
And we’re going to guess that, like us, you’ve already been tempted to open a few extra cardboard doors each day?
Which brings us to The Space – a mindfulness podcast that’s not like the others hosted by Casey Donovan and written by wellness expert Amy Molloy – how to mindfully eat your entire advent calendar.
The core of Mindful Eating is to really savour a treat. This makes advent chocolate perfect for it, because it requires a process.
By its very nature it forces us to slow down.
Take your time and search for a number.
Open a window.
Peel that foil open.
When you pop chocolate #17 in your mouth, take it as an opportunity to reflect.
What emotions or memories come up as you taste it?
Studies have found that memories involving food can be the most vivid. This is according to Susan Whitborne, a professor of brain sciences.
When a memory is related to eating, you’re using a whole range of senses.
And that can make a food memory very impactful;
Want to flex your mindfulness muscle?
Don’t eat number 24!
Nobody can deny the benefits of delayed gratification.
According to research, delaying everything we want can make us better decision makers, boost our self-esteem, and increase enjoyment.
For more on Mindful Eating find The Space on your favourite streaming platform – Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts – or have a listen to ‘Get more out of your advent calendar’ below.
For more tips and tricks about this episode, come join our closed Facebook group and Instagram page. We share extra resources and reading that relate to each and every episode of the podcast. On Instagram we’re TheSpace_podcast, and for Facebook? Just search – The Space Podcast.
Image: Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images