It’s that time of year again. I recently told someone that as I get older, the more I wish we could cancel Christmas. On my more optimistic days, I wish we could go back to a time when Christmas was about getting together with family to eat a decadent meal finished off with some concoction of traditional cake with dry fruit preserved in alcohol. But let’s take away all the presents, the tree, the tinsel, the endless Christmas music, fake snow decorations, the wood-stick deer with bows around their necks, the blow-up plastic oversized lawn ornaments and most importantly the fat man in the red suit. I’m ready to fire him not because he doesn’t do a great job but because he represents everything that has commercialized Christmas into some too long-standing season of what used to be a great holiday. Maybe its time to hire the aliens for an invasion to finally kill off the show. Yes, somehow I have moved from Team Cindy-Lou to Team Grinch.
Cue the commercial: It’s time for a mental health day. We can all start to feel the pressure of the holidays and anxiety can make this time of year feel overwhelming. There’s work which for everyone is busy with never ending demands. There’s family and friends, all of who may be lovely or at least 90% of whom are lovely, and of course, we want to hear their choir sing or attend another get together holiday party, or watch another predictable Christmas movie… until we don’t.
I recently told my coworkers that we need to take care of ourselves: that we can’t help other people if we don’t look after our own health. Despite this, I always feel slightly guilty taking a mental health day even though I know it is a good idea. It’s a form of medicine, especially for the introverted. For some, a mental health day may be booking a spa and massage; it might be taking a walk in the woods or snuggling up on the couch with a good book. But for writers, the best mental health days are for writing.
Last week I took a day for my writing. I was invited to share space at the beautiful Modern Schoolhouse in Pickerton, Ontario. And surprise! It was decorated for Christmas, and wait for it… with no less than THREE CHRISTMAS TREES. There were wreathes, stockings hung by the fire, greenery, plastic deer everywhere and even a toy train around a side table. Although I wore my green grinch socks, I couldn’t help but enjoy the seasonality of it. Maybe because I didn’t do the work to make it beautiful, but the touches made the space seem happy and joyful.
Or maybe it was taking the time for myself. A day of writing with friends with no pressures. To immerse myself into my novel and reacquaint myself to my characters, almost like inviting them to dinner for the season without having to actually cook.
Looking for a perfect gift for a writer? Give them a day of writing at a beautiful retreat. Heading home, I felt happy again and ready to dig out the Christmas lights and wreath for my own door. I may need to get some plastic deer too. My day sent me back to Team Cindy-Lou. Luckily, she’s a forgiving kind.
Happy holiday and happy writing!
Ooooh, I wanted to go, too! But an injury had me stuck on the couch. So glad you could take the opportunity. A wonderful space to write in. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!