The holiday season is a long haul, and it’s no wonder that we lose our motivation. There’s an exhaustion that sets in, more mental than physical, where we’re sick of trudging through each day, pressing forward to keep on keeping on while we’re also “doing Christmas.” I believe I’ve mentioned in previous entries that the holiday season can be overwhelming and overstimulating, especially to introverts, and it’s no wonder that the holiday spirit might hit a lag in this week before Christmas. We’re somewhere between “Happy Holidays” and “go away.”
Leave it to me to point at the pink elephant in the room. Then again, I specialize on illuminating those things we’d rather not acknowledge. Why? Because we need to, and it’s not fair to let people believe they’re the only ones with holiday fatigue when in fact, we’ve all had our bouts with anxiety and/or 'winter blues.' Likewise, some people struggle with depression and grief over the holidays. It’s a nostalgic time, and of course those memories will weigh on the soul.
My encouragement is to let it flow. Of course there’s too much to do. There always is, especially in December (and especially for middle age adults who are, unarguably, the busiest people in the world). Moods pass so do your best, accept it, and let today’s mental weather flow. Tomorrow is a new day and you’ll likely feel better if you take care of yourself now. Take a day off from “Christmas” if you need to. Trust me, it will still be there until December 25. There’s still time to take a break and get back into the groove.
Nobody will die if you miss tonight’s workout, if you pick up the gift tomorrow, if you mail the cards on Wednesday, or if you skip that Thursday, or if you say ‘no’ to participating in the Secret Santa on Friday. Trust me, everybody is frazzled. Even if your absence is noticed, they’ll forget it by the weekend. And so will you.
So do it. Say “dude, I’m done,” and mean it today. Just have tacos, crash, binge something non-holiday, and get a good night’s sleep. You might be surprised at how much better you feel tomorrow. Maybe good enough to turn the Christmas music back on and give it another try, one more time.
That’s all today. I wish each and every one of you a safe, happy, blessed, and Merry Christmas!
Bye!