Getting motivated for Christmas post-covid?

[ewchoc]

I've just recovered from covid and am having major trouble getting in gear for Christmas. Anyone else? Santas grotto, Christmas light trail, carol concerts etc all had to be cancelled. I have no sense of taste or smell. Haven't been able to go out to the shops so all the kids presents were delivered by Amazon, but since kids were home haven't even been able to open the boxes to check they're all ok. The thought of wrapping anything when kids are asleep is completely overwhelming. The box of Christmas decorations had gone mouldy so we have a tree up but nothing else and no motivation to get any more. DH is immunocompromised and covid made him very ill, it's looking unlikely we'll be able to travel to family for Christmas. All our family & friends have covid, are isolating or avoiding contact anyway.
Just typing this out has made me cry. I think I must be depressed. Is this a side effect or is this just how everyone's feeling at the moment??

I really feel for you. I don’t think everyone is feeling the same but I think people who have been through the reality of Covid or those who have their eyes open to the situation feel like you. Things are pretty bad where I live.

Not sure what to suggest but as hard as it will be, I reckon doing a bit of wrapping might help?

Oh bless you- you should completely overwhelmed. Take one thing at a time.
Forget the decorations- a tree is enough. If you really feel you need more- throw some lights over the tree to make it more festive.
Try a little wrapping each night when the kids are in bed- start small- 5 presents tonight and then put the stuff away and then you can build up over the week.
Have a plan B in mind for the day if you were initially planning to spend it with other family members (and now you may not be able to). Plan a simple menu- it doesn’t need to be a full on Xmas dinner- have a small buffet type dinner instead.
The kids won’t mind and you can have a nice, chilled out, relaxed day at home, watching movies and giving the kids snacks to kept them happy!
Hopefully as the days go on, you and your husband will be feeling a little better each day. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself and take care of yourself.

Thanks both - I took your advice and did some wrapping last night, and it did help.

I think it’s ok to not feel it some years. It’s all going to be over in 6 days anyway so wrap the presents have as nice a day as you can. Next year hopefully you won’t have been ill and the world won’t quite be so weird and you’ll get the fun anticipation back.

Glad you are feeling a bit better. And you have done more than me. I still have the full wrapping job hanging over me! How are you feeling now?

I could have written this. I came out of isolation at the weekend but I still feel too tired to do anything at all. We've got a load of family coming on Christmas Day unless Boris scuppers us, and I've got a to do list as long as my arm. Two of the kids have had Covid too so all Christmas fun has been totally cancelled. I just can't be bothered this year.

I took the children Christmas shopping today and feel absolutely exhausted, but much better mentally. Bought wrapping paper, new decorations, presents for friends & family (who knows if we'll get to give them, but the kids enjoyed choosing them). Felt like we may as well get out & about while we can! DH spent all day waiting for a nurse who didn't show up yet again, but got a prescription through for some new medication which means there's about a 50/50 chance we can still see family at Christmas. So things are looking less bleak!

@momamama give it some time. I must be just a few days ahead of you and I feel so much better today than yesterday. Like people suggested I've scaled back anything I could - used Christmas bags instead of wrapping paper, and personalised stickers for the kids so I didn't even have to write tags. And bought a tape dispenser as recommended on here. All of those things made the wrapping much easier. And I've cut back food plans, expectations around activities etc to try & make things a bit easier. I hope you manage to take it easy on yourself and start to feel better soon.

So glad you are feeling better. It is so hard to get motivated enough to do something, but once you start, it is so much easier!

I'm exactly the same, OP. My kids have recovered now and are wanting to start doing Christmassy things, but I feel so awful still. I feel really bad because we had to cancel so many things. No motivation at all to go anywhere or do anything.