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Many of us had memorable Christmases last year, and I don’t mean for good reasons. Whether it was December 25 spent away from family to keep everyone safe or a quiet period without the usual celebrations, plenty of us hoped that we wouldn’t have to deal with a Covid Christmas again.
Unfortunately, round two is here, and although it seems that restrictions won’t be as strict as last year, many people are feeling the strain of what is now almost two years of constant pandemic anxiety, with new and ever-changing details to consider constantly.
The Omicron variant is causing concern among scientists, there are whispers of more restrictions, some have been boosted but many more need to be, and we have all been battling the mental strain and exhaustion of living through a pandemic with no relief. It seems everyone is feeling the toll.
Throw in the pressures of the festive season, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Is it safe to have elderly relatives over for Christmas dinner if the kids have been in school fewer than 10 days before? Will my friend be offended if I decline an invite to drinks at her house? Is it ok to go to the pub if I do an antigen test afterwards?
We want to celebrate the festive season, but there is still an underlying anxiety surrounding so many aspects of our normal traditions that it can be exhausting knowing what is the right thing to do.
I don’t have any magical solutions for any of this, apart from just looking out for ourselves and each other. From the shop assistant trying to deal with panicked shoppers on Christmas Eve to your closest relatives, it’s worth remembering that we’re all stressed at the moment, and that a little kindness goes a long way.
Keep reminding yourself that even if your Christmas doesn’t look like the perfect one you had imagined, it’s completely fine. Keeping people safe and minding yourself are more important than any Instagram-esque notion of what the day should look like.
And while we might be disappointed not to be able to meet up with everyone we’d like to, there are other ways we can reach out to show them that we love them. Schedule in a long phone call for a proper catch-up, send a little gift with a note, or even just drop round a tin of cookies (they absolutely do not have to be homemade).
Even small gestures mean a lot, and if that’s all we can muster right now, then so be it.