“Tis the season to be jolly”

“Tis the season to be jolly”

And just like that, it is December 2020. Christmas is not celebrated by everyone, but whether you celebrate it or not the world around us becomes enveloped by it. The sights, the sounds, and the feeling of it, is everywhere. There is a very manufactured reality promoted to us. A time for family, a time to spend with loved ones, a time to be happy. As someone who loves the Christmas season, I still must remind myself to be wary of what I am mentally ingesting. It is something to be aware of all year round, but especially in this season, the “perfect life” chatter seems to go into hyperdrive.

This year the festive season will be very different. People who normally travel or spend time with family or friends might not be able to. More people that before will find themselves either alone or in unfamiliar territory and might feel isolated (me included). As with everything in our lives, whether it is body confidence, accepting yourself or being kind to others, it all starts with our thinking. Our thinking is our most powerful tool and it can manifest the world we live in. We have the power to change our perspective on something just by changing our thinking.

We are friends with people because we share similar interests, or we love little things about their personalities. The little unique things about you and the things you like to do, make you the person you are. When remembering our favourite days, it is the little things that stand out. Life is made up of huge life altering events (like global pandemics), and small seemingly unremarkable moments in between. But it is these small unremarkable moments that make us happy. The most amazing thing about these “unremarkable moments” is that we can consciously replicate and include them in our days. By being more of yourself and doing more of the little things you love to do, you can consciously create a happy fulfilling environment. If this year has taught us anything,  it is how adaptable we are and how even when something seems concrete, there is always room for change. The “normal, standardised perfect family or life” that is presented to us through social media or advertising (even more so at this time of the year) does not exist, in the same way that completely flawless faces or bodies in the beauty and fashion industry don’t exist. Both realities are constructed to sell products. We all have our own imperfectly (perfect), beautiful realities that we can control and should cherish without feeling like they are inadequate. Just as you are enough, whatever your reality is, it is enough.

With so much uncertainty in the world and so much new territory, consciously and consistently taking charge of how and what we think by eliminating the “perfect life” chatter and making time for doing and savouring the little things we love can give us moments of joy. Those moments of joy create our reality, one that is not constructed by someone else and one we will love because it is designed specifically for us. Thinking and feeling are intertwined. Doing things that we love instils happy thoughts and feelings, leading to those moments of joy I spoke of, and more of those lead to a happier life.

Planned moments of joy for me this month will include getting crafty and baking, making my favourite foods, cosying up with a hot chocolate and a festive movie, walking around on the crisp nights looking at the lights, curling up with my favourite books and scheduling in time to video call with friends and family. For you it could be anything at all that makes you happy. Whether it’s the festive season or not consciously and consistently creating little moments of joy really help with mental health.

Remember to always gift yourself time to do the things you love because it is the gift that keeps on giving.