Christmas is Just Around the Corner!

With Bonfire Night and Halloween now behind us, the rest of the year seems to glide — or sometimes hurtles towards Christmas. Even if you’re someone who doesn’t start planning until much nearer the time, it’s hard to escape the sight of wreaths and Christmas trees outside supermarkets, or the rows of Poinsettias appearing on sale, not to mention all the Christmas songs that have been playing in shops and supermarkets since mid-November.

Christmas can be a magical season filled with connection, family, and warmth — but it can also be stressful, emotional, and at times deeply lonely. For many people, this time of year brings reminders of loved ones no longer with us. Others may be navigating health concerns within the family, caring for ageing parents, or simply trying to balance work, life and responsibilities. It can feel as though we’re juggling every ball in the air… with the added pressure of “creating Christmas” on top.

Christmas traditionally begins on Christmas Eve and lasts for twelve days, yet somewhere along the way, we’ve stretched the season so far backwards that by the time Christmas arrives, many of us are already exhausted. While starting early can offer more time to prepare, it also means more time to worry, plan, and overthink.

I can look back now on the years I worked through Christmas and New Year in the NHS. By Christmas Eve the tree had lost all its needles, some presents hadn’t arrived, family members were bickering, and then on Christmas day I overcooked the turkey so spectacularly that everyone politely chewed their way through it with copious amounts of gravy… while I experienced a complete sense of humour failure. I realise now: I wasn’t keeping things simple. I was striving for perfection — for my family, for my patients, for everyone — except myself.

What I now try and tell myself is that this season isn’t about me trying to create a perfect Christmas. It is about celebrating the birth of Christ if you are a Christian and about spending time with family and friends. And if everything isn’t perfect? If the turkey is a bit dry or the presents aren’t wrapped in matching paper? Let it go. Breathe and Go with the flow.  It really is about supporting yourself in small, meaningful ways so you can enjoy all the festivities with your friends and family and not just feel you ‘got’  through it.

A new year is not far away — and what people will remember most are not the flawless details, but the love, presence and connection that Christmas brings.