So how has this year gone?(I need to reread this in the run up next year.)
I think I was RELATIVELY peaceful in the run up. I remember quite a few moments of feeling stressed but overall I was open ( in a yoga class, for example) saying it was a difficult time of year for me, but I think my total overall stress levels were less marked, so the up and down sine wave of moods was generally shifted upwards. So that is good, each year gets easier.
Secondly, I’m getting better at breaking it down into component parts. It is full of different moments, some are ACTUALLY pleasant and enjoyable! And yes there are moments which aren’t great or are stressful, but that is true of life in general so I need to stop seeing Xmas as my worst time of year, Xmas day as my worst day in the year and instead reframe it as a time and a day that can have stressful moments and difficult moments but equally there are lots of nice, special moments which redress the balance.
What have I especially enjoyed this year?
In no particular order:
Experiencing my first ever oyster ( interesting, more pleasant than I feared)
A walk in empty London streets, on my own christmas morning, blustery fresh winds. It was very peaceful and exhilarating.
Some small gift opening sessions were actually pleasant and enjoyable, seeing my husband’s presents going down well with his grandchildren was especially nice.
The food is always nice and although I regularily over ate and felt unpleasantly full at times, I didn’t beat myself up about it, just accepted it as something that happens to the majority of us at this time of year.
Stuck in a relative’s house for a couple of hours with my husband, we spent an enjoyable afternoon watching the Sound of Music. I’m not good at just relaxing so this was good practice!