- What does this holiday period mean to you?
This holiday means different things to different people.
Some people see the holiday period as exactly that - a chance to relax, take time out and have a break. Whilst others enjoy the holiday period to spend time with people they love/ enjoy their company. The thought of Christmas alone makes people feel happy.
Sometimes Christmas is an opportunity to retreat to the religious aspects that are important.
It is also a good chance to make some extra money considering it is the season for giving; therefore it is also a good chance to spend just as much money as we make. So Christmas can be stressful at times when we are trying to keep up with the busy work rosters, shopping centres and existing commitments that do not cease because of Christmas
2. So everyone out there tonight we were wondering if you do not celebrate Christmas (or imagine if you didn't) do you think it would be difficult to be surrounded by the holiday? If so why?
People who do not partake in this holiday may also feel stressors associated with Christmas. Like busy shopping centres. Christmas is basically inescapable and everywhere. To the point it would be frustrating, annoying and painful. People who do not believe in the holiday or practice the holiday may also feel isolated at school, work or in other social settings where Christmas is the centre of discussions/activities.
People who also spend Christmas alone may find this time of year especially hard thinking about people who have loved ones to share the day with
3. What is your favourite holiday/Christmas memory?
Funny santa photos, doing something you have never done before like having the family dress up, waiting for santa to arrive, checking the Christmas stocking to check santa arrived, opening presents on Christmas day, overwhelming excitement of being a kid, leaving out snacks for the reindeers, FOOD
4. What is not to love about Christmas?
Busy shopping centres, family pressures, difficult relationships/strained relationships and being around these people when you may not feel comfortable (let alone enjoy yourself), unexpected situations that arise, drained bank accounts, the chance it highlights one’s loneliness is likely to be reinforced, the attitudes of people and how retail staff (in particular) might be treated
5. Have you ever had a Christmas/holiday that was difficult? Why was it difficult?
Spending time with family members you do not always get along with can be difficult. One way to manage this is to keep your distance and do not over indulge in each other’s company. This may avoid potential arguments. The advertisements, movies and cartoons of happy families is not a reality for all.
When loved ones have passed away it can be difficult to experience the first Christmas without them. It can also be hard to enjoy Christmas when someone passes relatively close to this holiday.
- 6. What support ideas do you have for someone who is struggling with loneliness this Christmas?
Try to keep yourself busy, volunteer, throw yourself into company with others.
Sophie-RO provided some really worthy advice here, definitely worth a read.
I think the first thing is to be aware of it, and act on it. And by act on it I mean the following:
1 Be Aware of Your Family’s Dynamics
You may not be able to change your family’s dynamics, but at least be aware of how your family and friends affect you.
Sometimes surviving Christmas can be about find ways to shorten or eliminate the experiences that make you feel bad. Connect with the people, or places that are comforting & nurturing during the Christmas time is helpful. Be that in person, over the phone or online.
2 Make A Plan
If Christmas is a hard time, maybe making a plan of what you’ll do on the day & the public holidays afterwards can be a good addition to your coping strategies.
3 Start New Traditions
If Christmas just isn’t relevant to you maybe starting your own tradition is something useful. If you find that some of your friends also feel alienated or freaked out by Christmas, maybe it’s about starting an annual event that supports & acknowledges that this is often a really hard time. It may be a hang out in the park, dinner, a trip to the movies or somewhere exciting & adventuresome. It might be taking time before (to inspire strength & courage) or after (to debrief
and process) Christmas hang-outs with your close friends….
4 Reach out to a service if you need to talk and you don't have someone - Lifeline and Kidshelpline are always there
7. Sometimes the holiday period can bring up grief issues as we are reminded of loved ones lost. How can we deal with this grief and turn it into something that celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed away?
Acknowledging loved ones is something nice to help with this. Although their physical presence may not be with us- talking about them and including their memory in parts of the day (e.g. hanging up their Christmas stocking, delegating a memorial branch on the Christmas tree in their memory) can be helpful for us when we have lost a loved one. It was also recommended to be happy and encourage positivity.
Some also honour their memory by donating to a charity or organisation their loved one cared about.
Reminding yourself of a loved one in a positive, safe and fun way can be really helpful.
8. A lot of support services are closed over this period. What can you do if your normal supports are not around?
Ensure to let someone know if you struggle with this period. Also if you know of someone struggling reach out to them.
Kids helpline and lifeline are also available
9. The Christmas & New Years season is a time of lots of parties & lots of expectation to party. What can you do to make sure you have a safe and fun time?
STOP, REVIVE, SURVIVE.
Know your limits and do not over indulge too much. Drinking to deal with awkward and stressful situations isn’t always a great idea.
Make sure to get some alone time, holidays can be quite overwhelming and stressful.
Have a happy and safe holidays everyone. Here is a fact sheet you may want to check out that relates to tonight’s discussion http://au.reachout.com/The-family-and-Christmas
It's okay, it's more thinking about the past altercations and how they could manifest this holiday season. But I told myself I wasn't going there now and I can work at that at another time 
