01 Dec When Christmas is not all it’s cracked up to be!

Not everyone loves Christmas!

This might come as a shock to some, but while Christmas is meant to be a time for loving families to come together to celebrate, it can also be a time that drives anxiety levels through the roof.

Let me explain my position on this subject.

My parents have been divorced since I was 15. They’ve been in the same room only twice in the 25 years since then. They don’t live in the same state, and in some ways, this makes Christmas much easier because we don’t try to see both sides on, or even near, Christmas Day.

On the other hand, I’m divorced, and my ex-husband lives nearby, and we do need to juggle time with the kids and time with each side of the family.

My kids love Christmas but I struggle with it

I struggle with Christmas for a few reasons:

1. Firstly, because every year, I know we will have to overcome the logistical battlefield between family homes like we are participants in a Ninja Warrior final.
2. Secondly, because despite my commitment to living a relatively waste-free, minimalistic life, I still succumb to the overwhelming pressure to buy gifts that my loving family may or may not want. 
3. Thirdly, it’s a time when we remember those people or things we have lost. Perhaps it’s a loved one that isn’t here this year, or that we have lost our job or become aware of a significant health issue, and we’re not sure what the next year may hold for us physically, emotionally or financially. 

Embracing joy from others at Christmas is a great thing

My gorgeous husband of four years calls me the Christmas grinch. While this isn’t a title I wear proudly it is reasonably accurate. My Sister-in-law on the other hand is a Christmas gift-giving genius. Seriously, every year she nails every single gift for every single person, and the secret to her gift-giving abilities is 100% joy. That’s right, she loves Christmas and loves giving gifts. Of course, my children love Christmas more than anything too. 

And every year, the joy from my Sister-in-law and my children rub off on me too.

Christmas is a crazy busy day in our household, and I shudder at the thought of my kids leaving me that day to go to the other side of the family, but once they leave it’s quiet time with my husband or the family that stick around after lunch and the fact that all is quiet on the work front that brings me joy – no emails, no calls and no-where else to be. 

So, if Christmas is not your favourite time of year or just not for you at all, that’s ok. But make it unique anyway. Consider the following activities for Christmas Day:

• Enjoy a good book and a bath.
• Book into a restaurant for lunch or dinner with a friend
• Head down to a local welfare kitchen and take away some joy in helping others and making their day special (but book early as volunteer spots book out quickly these days).
• Enjoy the lack of emails and workload and instead work on sorting out your personal admin so you’re organised for the new year.

Pam’s #1 Christmas Tip – At Christmas time always look ahead!

My biggest tip to get through Christmas is to use this time to look forward and plan for the big year ahead.

Don’t look back at the negative things in life; you can’t change these, but you can change the future by taking small steps toward becoming the person you want to be. 

At My Life Capsule, we are here to help you through life’s everyday bumps and significant life events – even Christmas. We’d love to hear how you feel about Christmas and how you manage this big time of year. 

Written by Pam Moorhouse – Founder at My Life Capsule