Coping with Christmas

‘Ho Ho Ho’ or ‘No No No’?

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat.

For many people, Christmas is a time of great joy, with plenty of Ho Ho Ho!

For many others, it is a time of dread: a time of No No No!

There are the TV ads portraying jolly people sharing festive feasts together and showing goodwill to all men… and women. There is an unspoken expectation that everyone wants to, and can, buy a tree, decorate their home, fill the fridge full of treats, give gifts, make cakes and mince pies and generally sign up to all that Christmas seems to have become.

Some people see Christmas as an exciting time filled with social events, family & friends, party games, shopping, carol singing, gift giving, Christmas episodes of their favourite TV shows, time off work and maybe even more.

Some people see it as a time filled with dread. Maybe it’s the expense, the extra work, loneliness, the sadness or grief of missing loved ones who are not around, having to maintain an upbeat exterior when feeling anything but, feeling isolated, feeling unloved or not valued.

christmas present

If Christmas is a tough time for you, it may help to set your expectations and plan the day. Fill your day with things you enjoy. If some of the things you enjoy are not an option this year then substitute them for other things you do. Preparing what you are going to do can turn negatives into positives and prevent you from feeling too upset. We all have our own likes. Maybe pre-record some TV you enjoy or plan a lovely walk (weather permitting) or line up a phone chat to those far away or look online for groups to meet with or be part of. Make your own feast of favourite foods. Whatever you decide, try to take the pressure off yourself to feel a certain way just because it’s Christmas.

The meaning of Christmas isn’t gifts, crackers, paper hats and Quality Street. In my opinion, Christmas is about offering kindness and caring to one another and that includes being kind to ourselves.

snowman smile

If you would like to make positive changes in your life, please give me a call on 07708238929.

< Older Post Newer Post >

Pippa Seed • November 1, 2018

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Are you one of many people who are facing redundancy?

By Pippa Seed • October 22, 2020

Are you struggling with news of redundancy?

Are you experiencing more vivid or disturbing dreams than usual?

By Pippa Seed • April 27, 2020

The changes to lifestyle brought about Covid-19 seem to have many people on a bit of a rollercoaster of thoughts. As human beings we all need some certainty to feel a level of safety without which, it is difficult to relax (the level varies from person to person and the areas of life in which we need [...]

Some suggestions for coping with the social isolation and Covid-19

By Pippa Seed • March 24, 2020

Some suggestions for coping with the social isolation and Covid-19 These really are very challenging times for many people …around us and globally. There are justifiable and real concerns about the physical health of our loved ones, our own health and also concerns about our mental health too. With social isolation comes the potential [...]

How do we handle the situation happening in our country, caused by Covid-19?

By Pippa Seed • March 21, 2020

What seems to be happening is that many people are feeling an increasing level of anxiety. So, what can we do to cope with feelings of anxiety and, for some, panic? One thing we can do is to take some control in a situation, in which, we feel many things are beyond our control. We [...]

Better ways to handle conflicts and issues within a relationship

By Pippa Seed • June 26, 2019

All relationships have conflict or differences of opinion at some time …it is healthy to do so and to maintain some of our individuality. However, the way we react and handle those times can make a huge difference to the health of a relationship. Ideally, both parties would listen calmly and respectfully to each other’s [...]

Do you feel emotions strongly? Do you often feel misunderstood?

By Pippa Seed • March 6, 2019

Do you seem to be aware of subtleties around you? Maybe you are the 15- 20% of people who are highly sensitive people… Wikipedia states “People with an increased sensitivity of the central nervous system and a deeper cognitive processing of physical, social and emotion stimuli have a personality trait termed highly sensitive person [...]

Do you want more confidence, self worth and resilience?

By Pippa Seed • December 2, 2018

Are you your No 1 fan? Or do other people’s opinion of you count more to you? The second option can potentially be a route to diminished self-worth. Why is this? Well, we all have values that are important to us and the combination of important values varies for each person …so someone else’s opinion [...]

Are Your Relationships Thriving?

By Pippa Seed • November 6, 2018

I recently came across a post I really liked…. Which got me thinking…. I love using analogies to explain things and in writing this piece decided to look up the actual definition of an analogy to check I had it right and this is what came up on Google a comparison between one thing and [...]

Do you feel fulfilled?

By Pippa Seed • October 11, 2018

Or do you feel that something is missing? The answer often depends on whether …and how often, we choose to stay in our Comfort Zone or whether to take a challenge and Grow. Most people need to be achieving personal growth in some way in order to feel fulfilment …..but how often do we [...]

Do you have a challenging teenager?

By Pippa Seed • August 9, 2018

Do you have a challenging teenager? Do you have a very, very challenging teenager who you are watching make decisions that are damaging to him or her and whatever approach you take to try and encourage them on to a better path, nothing seems to be working? It can be the most testing, stressful, [...]