The Gift of Christmas

Christmas is my most favorite time of the year. There is none other to match the warmth and cheer of this season. A nice cup of hot chocolate, in my Christmas mug, the warmth of the fire place and just enough light from the Christmas tree…picture perfect shot.

This also however, turns into the season where expectations begin to overwhelm us. The expectations of others. The expectations of the season. Expectations that we ourselves, take on from the tone of this season of Christmas.

It is no doubt, a season that is rendered warmth, coziness, Christmas colors, presents, hot chocolate. Everything happy. Words of Joy, Peace, Hope…Merry everywhere!

I’m talking about the tone that the season sets. Stores ringing with holly-jolly melodies. Everything around us sets the tone for “perfect joy.”

Turns out, the season may not bring so much jolly for many of us who struggle with depression. The pressures of prepping for the season overwhelms. People that we possibly have to be with during the season, may squeeze any remaining joy out of us. It may make us nervous, and jittery and sometimes sick to the stomach. Speaking from experience here.
However, with all the “yucky” we feel, the season says, we need to be happy, need to smile, need to shop, and bake and…basically be jolly!

Sadly, Christmas has been turned into an avenue for commercialized MERRY.

And somehow getting through the season just seems harder than even just our regular struggle period. Doesn’t it?

Some of the things I wish I had done for myself during the Christmas season, I share here with you.

🎄Make your mental and physical health a priority during this time. Please do not walk deeper than you need to, into anything that you know will cause you emotional trauma. You need your mind, you have to live with it for much longer than the short unpleasant period of appeasing someone else’s fancy.

🎄Your mental health is worth investing into. You are worth investing into. Take time aside for yourself. Maybe go out for coffee with a good friend. Or maybe a movie. Don’t let anybody or anything put more miles on your tender mind than it needs at this time.

🎄Christmas Day will come. And you will most likely get together with family and friends. Don’t go out of your way to try and be happy. Avoid pushing yourself to a point of exerted happiness, just to convince everyone that you are as happy as they are. Simply be happy enough for yourself that you were able to be there and have a nice time with everyone.

🎄And last and utmost, focus on the reason for the season. That is what we are celebrating anyway. His birth. Jesus. Put your burdens on him and draw from Him the Peace, the Joy, the Hope and the Merry for the season.

Unwrap the Gift of Christmas! 🎁