This time of year can feel frantic. There’s so much to do in the run up to Christmas and a feeling of time running out.
Expectations and emotions run high at Christmas as we try so hard to match up to the fantasy of how it should be; beautiful thoughtful gifts, perfectly decorated home, delicious, ample food prepared on time and in vast quantity, living up to a ‘happy family’ ideal.
And that’s on top of us trying to complete all our work tasks and tick things off the list before the holidays, when everybody else is also frantically busy (or at the Christmas party), so impossible to get hold of.
Our diaries are full, our children’s diaries are full, we feel over-committed and under-resourced.
No wonder so many of us fall ill or fall out as soon as the holidays begin and adrenaline gives way to sheer exhaustion (not to mention the sheer physical abuse of too much food, booze, lack of sleep and lack of exercise)!
We can easily pile on the stress further when we start to compare with others; “What, they’ve written and sent all their Christmas cards already? I haven’t even bought mine”. “What do you mean, you’ve only one present left to buy?” “Wow, ballotine of duck as part of a 5 course meal for 18 – puts my turkey and overdone sprouts to shame”.
Kids asking “why haven’t we got our tree up, everyone else has”, when it’s still only the 2nd December. And the general air of frantic busy-ness and stress is contagious – we catch it from others even if we’ve actually nothing to feel stressed about and everything is in hand (“I must have missed something, it feels too easy”).
Yes, Christmas is a time for giving, but we serve nothing and nobody by giving ourselves away and leaving ourselves depleted.
In my next blog post I’ll be writing about some really simple hints and tips for maintaining your energy, sanity and saving time as this year rushes to an end.
Why not in this post? Well, I also try to walk my talk – the truth is it’s been a busy day full of frazzled clients and I’m feeling tired. I know the quality of what I’ll write for you will be so much better once I follow the very same hints and tips I’ll be writing about! More soon.
