Tick off, or erase? Why you don’t need to do everything this Christmas

I’m really distracted.

I am trying to write my column, and I know what I need to do, but I keep procrastinating. Other things just seem to catch my attention – like how I have to clean out the cutlery drawer right now, or the event booking I promised a friend I would do (and did start) before I got distracted and didn’t finish it.

I do try to be organised. I have lists on my phone, on scraps of paper and in journals – but mostly in my mind. A word or phrase can trigger me and, suddenly, I am thinking of an abundance of jobs to be done, tasks to be fulfilled and ticked off. But are they always helpful? 

At this time of year especially, there are just so many distractions. The lead-up to Christmas should be beautiful and thoughtful – but things can quickly become overwhelming. The amount of expectation the media puts on us to have the ‘picture perfect’ Christmas can be crushing. 

We dash around trying to source that limited edition, celebrity chef-inspired Christmas pudding, the matching pyjamas for our social media feeds and the gadget that promises to change our lives. These are all lovely, but are we ultimately just distracting ourselves from the real reason for the season? 

I don’t want to be so distracted that I forget to acknowledge the Christ in Christmas

I know what you’re thinking – I even cringed as I wrote it. That phrase sounds cheesy, often used as a rather glib response to the over-commercialisation of Christmas. But should we say it with more gravitas, and proclaim it over our homes, our church communities and even our Christmas to-do lists?

What would my family and friends say if I didn’t make a Christmas cake, decorate my house or give presents this year, all in the name of ‘savouring the saviour’ (oh dear, that’s even cringer than ‘reason for the season’)? Would they think less of me? Label me a Scrooge? Or would they respect me for not getting caught up in the over-saturation of consumption? 

I don’t know. And if I’m honest, I’m not brave enough to find out. But I don’t want to be so distracted that I forget to acknowledge the Christ in Christmas. So, you will have to excuse me if I don’t come to that cheese party, send 100 Christmas cards or have a homemade wreath on my front door.

This year, I’m going to be erasing some things from my to-do lists that are surplus to requirements. I’ll be attempting to lift the inner pressure of unrealistic expectations and be more like my lovely friend Alice, who has just messaged me amid a time of multiple pressures to say that she has “chosen rest over productivity but that’s OK and the needed choice”. 

I agree. So, let’s savour the saviour, put the Christ back in Christmas (he is the reason for the season, after all!) and yes, rest and digest too. Tick!