Christmas burnout

[tiredofchristmas]

I’m sorry but I really hate this time of year. It doesn’t help that I have 2 young kids who are up all night (4-5 times usually) and work full time in a stressful job, but my goodness I hate this time of year. The constant battle to think of meaningful Christmas presents for relatives you don’t particularly know well but have expectations of the perfect present. The endless shopping, the money dripping away, the social expectations (off no sleep and long hours at work), the to do list 10 x longer than normal, the relatives emotionally blackmailing you into contorting yourself into doing things (visiting people mainly) when you have no time and no energy, feeling pressured into eating and drinking unhealthily and your kids being fed non-stop junk, trying to stop your kids pulling the tree down on themselves. I’m so tired I can’t talk. I’m getting more and more depressed by the day.

Christmas is supposed to be a Christian festival to celebrate the coming of God’s son. Can we go back to that please? I can do a carol concert and maybe cook a roast, eat some mince pies and spend more time with my husband and kids. The rest is beyond me.

I get you. There is a familial element with Christmas, ie spending time with family. But when families are busy working or are either so fractured/estranged or in different parts of the country, or even the world, the pressures become insurmountable. "It's your turn to visit us." "No, it's your turn to come visit us." Everyone wants a piece of you and you're pulled in different directions.

Add in the giving element, which doesn't necessarily pertain to materialistic gifting, but rather just small keepsakes and just being present, ie gifting your presence (I wonder if somewhere along the line 'presents' and 'presence' got mixed up).

Just wait for all the bills to come through. All these BNPL services, credit card companies and loan companies will be happy. The big spenders and those who can't say 'no' are going to be in for a rough time in the new year.

We have had lots of plans this year so far already seeing friends and family and I've had 1 thing planned each day with the rest of the day to chill at home (as much as you can with kids) but right now I already feel that relief that's it's coming to an end even though I've enjoyed it..I don't get myself sometimes. Being social saps my energy..

It’s easy to say, ‘just say no’ and yes, there are some things you can control. But I’ve noticed that post covid, schools and after school clubs etc have gone a bit nuts with Christmas… gymnastic club have a Christmas pj day, schools have a dress up day, Christmas jumper day, Christmas fayre, stalls from home, nativity, carol concert, rehearsals for the above etc. While some of it is lovely, the mental load in December of trying to remember multiple changes for all the activities in one week has drained me. Every year I’m left wondering how to do it better and enjoy it more! No solutions! Just venting! 😂 x