Peace can be achieved by grabbing your pen this holiday season
The mental load at this time of year can be unbearable. Shopping lists for food, presents, festive events, parties, what the kids are doing, who is coming to stay… it feels never ending some days, doesn’t it?
Without careful management, by the time the big day arrives we are burnt out, ill, exhausted or all of the above.
How can writing help us stay calm and maintain the peace at this busy time of year?
Let’s start with something you will already be doing… lists. Without lists at this time of year, where would we be? I have lists for presents, food, what meals we’re having when, how many people are stopping each day… Lists are essential at this time of year because they enable us to remove anything on them from our brains, because we know they are on our lists if we need the information at any time.
Of course it isn’t just the mental load that can be stressful, there is also the stress of complicated family dynamics, the financial pressures and social commitments, which for many causes fatigue.
If you are an introvert or you are neurospicy it can be a really challenging time of year.
It is easy to add to your ever growing pile of emotions by then adding guilt into the mix if you don’t feel you are able to cope with additional stresses, or things get too much. After all this is supposed to be a happy, magical time of year, but many people can’t help feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
It won’t surprise you that we advocate grabbing a pen when these feelings start knocking.
How can writing help with festive overwhelm?
There are many techniques we can use which can support our wellbeing and help us feel more peaceful over the holiday period.
Let’s start with some simple strategies:
Gratitude journaling
It’s easy to look around at this time of year, and see all the things “everyone else” has and you don’t. Whether it is expensive gifts, a big real tree, matching pyjamas, trips on the Polar Express… there are always people sharing their insta-perfect lives at this time of year.
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the fact that very few people put their darker days online, so social media is full of artifically perfect lives. But also, none of the things I have just mentioned matter. What matters most is piece of mind, loved ones, being warm and fed. I hope that you will experience love, a full stomach and a warm home this Christmas. If you do, then you are more blessed than many people.
Take the time to think of at least five things that you are grateful for every day. You can write them in a journal or just say them to yourself if you are too busy to write them down. Acknowledging these positive elements of your life help you to see more positives everyday. You can actually rewire your brain using this simple gratitude practice. Add gratitude to your festive day and you will glide into the holidays feeling full of peace and joy.
Journaling
Spending time journaling and getting all your thoughts out of your head can be incredibly helpful at this time of year. It allows us to get all our thoughts and emotions out of our heads and onto paper. We can even use this method to write letters to people we have to see or who we are missing, and get all those difficult emotions out. When we write a letter to someone, even if we don’t send it our brain can then release those thoughts as it believes we have told the person how we feel.
Journaling doesn’t have to take lots of time, spending just 5 -10 minutes a day, writing without filtering our thoughts can be so beneficial for our wellbeing. The secret with journaling is not to worry about any of those elements you were taught at school; spelling, grammar, sentence structure etc. just write and write and get your thoughts and feelings onto the page.
Finding little pockets of time, maybe while you have a cup of tea and a mice pie, to write and reflect, will allow you to keep that feeling of peace and help you stay organised all Christmas long.
Write everything you are feeling down, some difficult thoughts and feelings can surface during the winter months and especially sentimental times like festivals.
Be honest with yourself, it’s ok to struggle with the demands of the season. It doesn’t matter how much you love your family, or how much you like the holidays, it can be exhausting.
Remember to write down all the positives too!
As helpful as it is writing down all the struggles you are experiencing at this time of year, remember to also write down all the joyful, peaceful moments. Perhaps you find time to take the dog for a walk on your own and it gives you a break from the busy-ness. Maybe you grab a quiet bath to reset. Maybe someone buys you a really thoughtful gift, or brings your favourite festive food to a party. Enjoy all the highs, there will be many.
If you find writing helpful over the holidays, and you want to keep this feeling of peace all through 2025, why not join us in the Writer’s Forge?