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Portia_RO
Star contributor
‎22-12-2021 07:01 PM
‎22-12-2021 07:01 PM
Happy Wednesday everyone!
 
With Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year right around the corner, a lot of us are getting ready to have some time off and celebrate the end of a crazy year. But, just because these events are meant to be joyful and relaxing doesn’t mean that they always are.
 
The festive season is always something I look forward to. As a young person living out of home, Christmas is one of the few occasions each year where I have an excuse to travel back to my hometown to see my family. I love giving everyone presents and spending time with people I don’t see very often, but at the same time, this whole process makes me a little stressed because there’s so much to organise and manage.
 
Despicable Me Dance GIF
 
This year, rather than pretending that the holidays are all sunshine and rainbows, I’ve decided to acknowledge the parts of this season that make me uneasy:
 
  • Christmas is expensive! I have to pay for flights to see my family, and gifts for all the people I care about. But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have to pay my rent, so I get a bit worried about how I’m going to afford everything.
  • As much as I love giving gifts, it can be stressful trying to find something that my loved ones will appreciate and to make sure that I haven’t forgotten about anyone important.
  • I’m also a little nervous about travelling because COVID seems to have reared its ugly head again, and I really don’t want to make any of my older relatives sick or get stuck in quarantine if I travel.
  • I am incredibly lucky to have a family that I get along well with and that I love to spend time with. But, as much as I love them, sometimes being with my family and away from my own home can still make me feel a little uneasy. I had a hard time in high school, and sometimes being in my hometown and staying in my childhood home remind me of that.
I’ve decided that it’s okay to feel this way. Nothing is completely black or white, good or bad, so it makes sense that big celebrations and changes bring some kind of discomfort with them. It doesn’t make me a bad person because going home and celebrating makes me a bit anxious, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t love my family.
 
To combat all these worries, I’ve decided to make myself a 12 Days of Wellness Advent Calendar! Here’s how it’s done:
 
After identifying all of the things that make you stressed or uncomfortable around the holiday period, make a list of all the things you are looking forward to about this time of year. For every stressful thing, there’s usually something to look forward to balance things out, even if it’s small.
 
Then, make a list of 12 things that might make you feel more relaxed or ‘normal’ during this crazy season. Some of mine include going for a walk by myself to get some alone time, spending time with my pet who lives with my parents, and calling a friend from where I live now to see how their Christmas is going.
 
Once you’ve got your 12 self-care activities, write them down and throw them into a container and pull one out each day for the 12 days of Christmas (or for each day of your family holiday, your time off school or uni, or whatever else you celebrate).
 
Schitts Creek Reaction GIF by CBC
 
Now it’s your turn!
 
  1. What things make you stressed about this time of year?
  2. What things are you looking forward to about Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, etc.?
  3. What self-care activities are going into your Advent Calendar? What helps you chill out when holidays and celebrations get you a bit strung out?
Lost_Space_Explorer5
Builder
In response to Portia_RO
‎22-12-2021 08:47 PM
‎22-12-2021 08:47 PM

I love this idea @portia-ro! 

 

What things make you stressed about this time of year?

Worried about not getting along with family, spending too much, getting older, getting the 'right' gifts, reflecting on the year, worrying about food, the summer heat and worrying about fires, going back into lockdown, wondering how many Christmases I have left with my family

 

What things are you looking forward to about Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, etc.?

Presents, spending time with family, extra pay on holidays, seeing friends

 

What self-care activities are going into your Advent Calendar? What helps you chill out when holidays and celebrations get you a bit strung out?

(in no particular order, I'll pick these at random!)

1. Read a book

2. Go for a walk

3. Make something

4. Watch a Christmas movie

5. Listen to music or a podcast

6. Spend time with my cats

7. Take a bath

8. Do some stretching

9. Go hang out with a friend

10. Get caught up on uni then have fun organising everything

11. Hang out on RO

12. Buy myself something nice but not too expensive

Bre-RO
Uber contributor
In response to Lost_Space_Explorer5
‎22-03-2022 03:38 PM
‎22-03-2022 03:38 PM

just catching up on the weekly wellbeing posts and wanted to see how you went with these self-care activities @lost_Space_Explorer5. I like that you added getting yourself something nice/not too expensive. Did you end up getting yourself a pressie? 

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