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Staying sane this Christmas in a totally mad world!
As we head towards the end of the year and we give ourselves vital time to take stock, breathe deeply and reflect, I reckon we could put 2016 up there as one of our most memorable of years, but perhaps not always for the right reasons.
So much has happened these last 12 months: innumerable, untimely celebrity losses like never before, the startling Brexit outcome of the EU referendum, team GB somehow managing to beat their amazing London Olympic medal tally at the Rio Games, the unbelievable result that Donald Trump is soon to be the next US President and the ongoing and seemingly never-ending horrors of war in the Middle East, plus all manner of who knows what else…….the one thing we can definitely say about all this is that there has never been a more crystal-clear time where uncertainty is all the more certain!
The impact of these global changes, coupled with our own domestic challenges, means that people may well be struggling frantically to make sense of all that’s happening around them. The everyday impact on our personal and professional lives has anxiety, depression and emotional upheaval leaving people feeling all the more insecure and vulnerable, not knowing which way to turn or how to ask for help.
Mental illness is indiscriminate – it can affect anyone regardless of their socio-economic status, culture or educational background. Addictive behaviour, self-harm, violence and suicidal thoughts strike so badly that A&E can be totally swamped during the festive season. The resulting effects cannot be ignored, because not only does it highlight the terrible and lonely desperation of the individual concerned, but also the struggles and frustrations of the families involved during a period when we’re all supposed to be having the ‘time of our lives’, as the media so unhelpfully keeps reminding us.
Whatever is going on for you and your loved ones this holiday season, please remember, we’re all in the same boat, doing our level best to balance life, love and laughter with all manner of grief, guilt and garbage. It’s enough that we always have the unexpected to deal with in our lives, without fuelling it with any more angst unnecessarily simply because we allow our egos to get in the way.
- Talk about the real stuff with each other – superficial stuff can pass the time of day, but it doesn’t help you understand each other.
- Pay attention to your loved ones, but don’t smother them – it’s no accident that the word mother is also in the word, smother for obvious reasons!
- Resist getting angry – I know how tough this is when it comes to families, so do your best to recognise your own triggers and admit you’re human – it’s amazing how laughing, instead of shouting, works wonders.
- Don’t put off getting help – reach out to others before it all gets too much – you’ll find people are incredible at pulling out all the stops when times are tough.
- Treat the whole family to something wonderful this holiday – not in monetary terms, but with the genuine act of loving, simply to say you care.
Have yourselves a peaceful time – we only have today – and tomorrow, if we’re lucky!