Christmas: Magic, Pressure & Everything In Between

For many of us, Christmas is a season sprinkled with magic... twinkling lights, cosy traditions, time with loved ones, and a feeling that something special is in the air. But it can also be a time of year filled with pressure, expectations, and emotional overwhelm. Particularly if you're the person who holds the calendar, coordinates the plans, buys the presents, makes the magic… and tries to do it all with a smile.

If that’s you, you’re not alone.

There are two sides of Christmas... It’s very normal to feel both excitement and exhaustion all wrapped together. Christmas can light us up, but it can also

• Fill the diary to bursting

• Trigger perfectionism — “I need to make this perfect for everyone”

• Stir up old patterns or childhood memories

• Highlight what’s missing in our lives

• Intensify feelings of loneliness or comparison

• Increase financial or emotional pressure

Even positive stress is still stress, and when we want everything to be special, the stress bucket can overflow quickly.

Why This Season Can Bring Up So Much

Christmas is deeply emotional for many people because it’s tied to memories and meaning. We often carry unconscious expectations shaped in childhood — perhaps the “perfect Christmas” we experienced or desperately wanted. And now, without realising, we try to recreate it.

For some, Christmas brings reminders off loved ones who are no longer here, of relationships that aren’t how we hoped, of a life chapter that doesn’t look like we imagined or of feeling different, behind, or alone

These feelings are just as valid as joy and excitement. They can all coexist.

So Here's A Mindset to Support You This Christmas

How about instead of striving for a perfect Christmas, we can choose to create a meaningful one in whatever way that means for you.

Take these gentle reminders with you...

Prioritise presence over perfection... The magic often lives in the small moments, not the flawless ones.

Do the things that TRULY matter to you.... Say no when you need to! A full calendar doesn’t equal a full heart.

Leave some space to breathe... Rest is not a reward; it’s a requirement.

Notice what's going well.... Your brain is wired to scan for problems so shift gently toward what’s working.

Allow EVERY feeling without judgement... You can feel joy and sadness, excitement and overwhelm. Both can be true.

Ask for help... You don’t need to carry everything yourself.

A Final Christmas Thought to Hold

What if this year, the goal wasn't to create the perfect Christmas…but the peaceful one? The authentic one? The good-enough and full-of-heart one?

Imagine stepping into the festive period with compassion for yourself, appreciation of the moments that matter, and curiosity about what’s possible when you let go of expectations that don’t serve you.

You deserve a Christmas where you also get to experience the magic — not just deliver it for everyone else.