My Brain's Not Broken

Does the title of this post sound a bit off? Well, that’s because it’s a play on the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” a classic Christmas song that has more covers and iterations than I could care to count. And even though this time of year actually is one of my favorite times of the year, it’s also incredibly busy. But even though it can be incredibly busy, this can still be a wonderful time for reflection and connection. It’s a bit tricky, but here’s what I’ve learned to get the most out of this time of the year.

Before I continue, I want to note that this isn’t just a “Christmas is here” post. Yes, Christmas contributes to a lot of the busyness and craziness this time of year, but there’s so much more that goes on that contributes to this time of year. You have multiple important holidays (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and yes, Christmas) sandwiched all before New Year’s. On top of that, many people are trying to make sure everything is wrapped up before the end of the year and since everyone’s schedule is different, it’s a lot to juggle. It can often feel like we’re rushing into our time off!

And then there is preparation and planning. Even for those of us who love planning things, it feels like this time of year is extremely tricky. There is more to take into account than usual, and it can be hard to strike a balance between what you’d like to do and what you need to do. Oftentimes, people can arrive at their restful periods exhausted not from the year they’ve had, but from trying to put together a trip or a visit.

I don’t think I’m saying anything new here; most of us know how busy or stressful this time of year can be. But it can be hard to remember in the moment, and we can be quite rude to ourselves about that. I should’ve been able to plan better, you might think. Or I can’t believe they didn’t check with me first when it comes to a family member or co-worker doing something you disagree with. Even why can’t they go easy on me? It’s the holidays! toward a teacher or parent who seems a little cranky. But it’s important to remember that it’s a busy time of year for just about everyone – whether you’ve made big plans or not.

This might not change the way you approach the holidays (I know I forget these things during the stressful times of the holiday season), but I hope it helps a little to know that we’re all in the same boat. We’re all just trying to do the best we can, and sometimes…

Here’s hoping you find rest, peace, joy or anything else you may need — during this holiday season.