Any other Christmas grinches out there?
I do enjoy Christmas, but this year I’m not feeling even remotely festive, and even when I AM, I have to admit to getting very bored by all of the gift guides and other types of Christmas-themed content that the internet becomes collectively obsessed with from the end of October onwards. In fact, there are times when I feel that if ONE more person asks me if I’ve done all my Christmas shopping yet (Answer: NO. That’s what Christmas Eve is for…), I might just explode.
Instead, here are five things to do if you’d like to carve just a little-bit of non-Christmas-themed time out for yourself….
01. BOOK A HOLIDAY OR MINI-BREAK
OK, I know this one’s pretty extreme, and might not be too practical either, but I’ve always wondered why so many British people choose to leave the country in the summer, when it’s at it’s most pleasant, and then stay home during the most miserable part of winter. We haven’t been able to manage it for a while now, and, as I say, I do realise this isn’t a practical suggestion for everyone, but whenever we can, we choose to take a break right before Christmas: going somewhere sunny and warm is a great way to blow the cobwebs away, and at least you know no-one’s going to ask you how the Christmas shopping’s going! Failing that…
02. BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN CITY
Unfortunately, a lot of tourist attractions close during the winter season, but the ones that remain open are generally a little quieter (unless they, too, have chosen to become obsessed with Christmas!), which makes for a more pleasant experience all round.
03. RE-READ YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK OR SERIES
At this time of year, TV tends to become very Christmas-centric, and the constant ad breaks urging us to become hysterical over turkey dinners and the like can get very tedious if you’re not in the mood. December has been a difficult month for me for other reasons too, so I’ve been choosing to re-read the Harry Potter series: it takes my mind off all of that Christmas shopping that still hasn’t been done (Whoops), and it’s absorbing enough (and long enough) to keep me entertained for weeks!
04. VOLUNTEER
Voluntary organisations need helpers more than ever at this time of year: why not help someone else other than wallowing in your own misery?
05. TAKE A LONG WALK
I’m normally against the “go for a walk” advice, which seems to be used as a something of a catch-all for every situation these days. I do, however, make an exception for December, which is such a claustrophobic month for me that even the biting cold wind can be a welcome alternative to being stuck at home listening to Christmas music on TV!
Any other suggestions?
