Best Of

As Christmas is coming up, I just wanted to remind people that you aren’t alone if you find this period hard. Christmas and the festive period often seem like a happy time on the surface, but I get that it isn’t always like that for all of us. I can relate myself, as I also find it difficult at times.

Christmas can be tough for many reasons. It can be hard seeing families getting together, dealing with money worries, loneliness, the cold weather and dark days, or even the end of the year and a new one approaching. It can also feel like time just flies past, and we might find ourselves thinking, “It’s Christmas already?” We might also find ourselves comparing our lives and families to others who seem happier, have bigger get-togethers, appear closer, or are more financially better off, and that can make things feel even heavier. It’s okay to have these thoughts and feelings.

For some of us, it can feel like another year has gone by where we’ve failed again, and we start questioning whether we’ve achieved enough or where the year has gone. I know that feeling myself, and I understand it actually can be common.

I just want to remind you that it’s absolutely okay to feel like this. Acknowledging that you’re not okay, or that the festive period is difficult for you, doesn’t make you weak. If anything, it takes strength to recognise it.

Most importantly, you’re not alone in feeling this way, even if it feels like it right now. To anyone struggling, you’ve been brave to get through another year and you should be so proud of yourselves. It does get better.

Here is some mental health support services for you all if you need:

Who can believe it’s 16th December already?

In the lead up to christmas, I always wonder about other people’s christmas traditions.

As a child i loved the magic of coming down and shouting “Santa’s been”, but now I’m older the traditions have aged with me But that doesn’t stop us from still saying it for a laugh when we get all the presents out.

In my house we love decorating while listening to christmas music, and making home made mince pies (we don’t make the pastry, we’re not that fancy, but it still counts). We also make jam pies, I didn’t like mince pies as a child so my mum made jam pies one year and I’ve never let her stop! I also love all the christmas specials of the usual TV shows I watch like the chase, the soaps and others.

Do you have any christmas traditions in your family/household? If you do, which is your favourite one?

Bonus question: did you have any christmas traditions as a young child that you miss now you are a bit older? I still find myself missing the magic of that Santa call!