If you’re feeling the pressure this December, NI4kids can help with five tips for dealing with Christmas burnout
If you have uttered the words, “I just don’t feel Christmassy this year”, you could be suffering from Christmas burnout. This term refers to a state of physical or mental exhaustion where instead of feeling excited for the upcoming festivities you experiencing overwhelm or dread instead. Don’t panic, there’s plenty you can do to help ease the burden as Christmas gets closer.
Set realistic expectations
The Christmas period puts a lot of pressure on parents, in particular mothers, to craft a magical experience that the whole family will remember for years to come. In the age of social media this can often include spending vast amounts of money and time creating picture-perfect moments. The first step is to take a deep breath and be honest with yourself about what you can realistically achieve this year. Break down your to-do list into essentials, desirables, and expendables. Try to focus on the traditions that mean the most to your family and cut out anything that isn’t critical by prioritising things that reflect your current values and energy levels.
Make time for yourself
There is a reason why the safety announcements on aeroplanes specify that you need to put your oxygen mask on first before helping others. The same principle applies here; you can’t make everyone else’s Christmas magical if you aren’t looking after yourself. Carve out some dedicated time in the next week for self-care whether that be a bath, a run, or a solo coffee and book date. Whatever your me-time looks like make sure it is marked as essential on the calendar! Also, no matter how busy you are, don’t forget to fuel your body properly, that means no meals on the go, going to bed at a reasonable hour, and plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Delegate, delegate, delegate
There won’t be any medals handed out on Christmas Day for carrying the weight of the festive season by yourself, so make sure everyone is pitching in. If you’re hosting Christmas dinner, divvy up the work and put all those that are attending in charge of one aspect of the meal. Depending on the age of your kids get them involved in the wrapping of presents for family, and if there is any last-minute shopping to do, send someone else! If there is no one of an appropriate age to delegate to, make it as easy as you can for yourself; if you still have presents to buy opt for gift vouchers and go for pre-prepared options when it comes to Christmas dinner. We promise no one will be able to tell if you strained your gravy three times or bought it readymade.
Social media black out
One of the leading causes of pressure during the festive season is social media. Step away from the screen and stop comparing yourself to others. That influencer may have taken their kids to see Santa in Lapland, remembered to take matching festive photos in front of a perfectly manicured tree, and handmade every Christmas present from scratch, but remember you don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. People post their highlight reels on social media so when comparing your life to theirs you’re comparing your ‘warts and all’ reality to a few, often edited and posed, snapshots of theirs. If you can’t limit your scrolling, now might be the time to bring in a self-imposed ban to remind yourself what you love about your own family’s Christmas traditions.
Practise gratitude
Christmas is a natural period of reflection where people can’t help but look back on the last year and how things have changed. Unfortunately, this isn’t always positive and sometimes we can find ourselves lamenting the lack of growth, or anything at all, that happened in the last 12 months. Whether you were meeting goals, or just simply surviving, take the time to remember what you are grateful for this year. Start a new tradition whereby you write down three positive things that happened in 2024 and tidy the piece of paper away with the decorations in January. These don’t have to be big events like new jobs or holidays, but can be simple memories from throughout the year. Add to it each year and before long you’ll have a list of positivity to look back on.
