‘Tis the Season to be Busy

Christmas is definitely my favourite time of year but I feel like the older I get, the less time I have to actually just enjoy it. (The joys of adulthood) In between full time work, getting all the Christmas shopping done, the festive nights out and catching up with family and friends it’s not easy to carve out some time to just chill with a scented candle and watch Christmas films. Work doesn’t usually get any easier in the build up to Christmas, it’s often the opposite as the deadlines become tighter and you have to pull together to cover people who are on annual leave. They didn’t gear us up for this during the last week at school when we’d be winding down and spend most of our time making cards and decorations or watching films. How I miss those days…

Even though its supposed to be a joyous time of year, the pressure to get everything done and have the ‘perfect’ Christmas can often leave us feeling stressed and overwhelmed. It’s important to take time out for some rest and self care. Although it’s temping to overstretch yourself, say no to certain invitations if you need to or just show your face for a short time then go home to relax. 

I have plans for every weekend in December but I’ve tried to keep at least one day or evening free during each weekend which may end up being filled with Christmas shopping but I hold out hope that I’ll get a few windows of time to relax and get into the spirit. Planning out your days in a diary or calendar is a good way to get organised. For example, you could allocate one or two evenings each week to online shopping which is what I plan to do. I also write lists of what I plan to buy for people and cross them off once that item has been purchased. 

Whatever you do to make the festive period more manageable, make sure you take time to live in the moment and enjoy time with your loved ones.