Christmas burnout is a real thing and a thing before you've even got started! 

Mid December and Christmas in just under a week, but I feel I am living in a constant state of anxiety, overwhelm and stress at the moment.

Generally speaking I neither love nor hate Christmas, there are things about it I think are pure magic and things I want to shove up Santas bum sideways! I don't really have a favourite holiday or season because I like them all for various reasons but one thing is for sure, I've not felt like this about Christmas for a long, long time. 

This week I kept up a tradition with my friends.

On Monday I met up with my girls. The 4 of us have a yearly tradition where we go to walk around some Christmas Lights. This year we went to the Wisley Lights; its our 3rd time after disastrously making the change for the Windsor Lights last year. We head to a Harvester not far out, gorge on food, put the world to rights before strolling around the lights. 

One of my besties is a Mental Health Nurse and she is very insightful; I live my exciting life through her stories. She was saying this year that the Christmas Burnout is a real thing and having chatted more bout it with my girls I couldn't agree more.

I feel Burnt out, overwhelmed and done with Christmas. There is very little magic this end and it kinda makes me sad but equally I also don't have it in me to conjure any up.

Looking back over past years there is a tone of stuff we have normally done by now or looked forward too.

Normally by now the kids and I have driven around a million local houses looking at lights but we have yet to do it once.

The tree is normally up and doing my head it; it is not up and I am contemplating whether to bother. 

I have normally finished all my xmas shopping; I have done some but feel like I am missing a lot and what I have got I struggled to find the time or energy to get.

At work we would have had a huge Christmas bash and a Christmas toy collection but instead we had a small chit chat gathering of 6 of us today over a cuppa.

Christmas week is normally spent driving hear there n everywhere and we have no plans accept for boxing day and a catch up Christmas eve. Nothing in the diary (this I am kinda happy about!)

The kiddies haven't written xmas cards, I forgot the teacher presents, we've not visited or written to santa, we've not mooched around a garden centre, we've not watched and xmas films and are currently recycling last years xmas PJs (not a bad thing!) 

But if I am being honest and kind to myself it is hardly surprising. 

The thing is looking at my life objectively; we have had a hell of a lot going on. If you follow my stories you'd have seen I had 9 hospital appointments spread across 3 kids in the last 2 weeks. I have returned to work in the busiest periods, there have been nativities, illnesses, hubby on night shifts, oh and did you know I had a baby 16 weeks ago??!!

I know, I am doing my absolute best to stay afloat and I do not need to put the additional pressure on myself. The kids don't know what they don't have or see, they are loved and are safe and warm and will be excited by the simple fact Father Christmas has brought them a fart machine 🙄 But I can not help but feel the burnout is all too strong. 

My anxiety is through the roof, I am exhausted and feeling like I am one mince pie away from a full on temper tantrum. 

But we roll. As we have all year long. This year 2024 has been one of the most challenging and hardest years of my life, my business and my health. Contrary to popular opinion there is a lot of my life I do not publicly share, a lot of shit going on behind the scenes not even the magic of santa can help with and this year has tested me so much.

I am excited to move past this period though, not that I am wishing time away...

I am not really into the whole new year, new me stuff but this year it feels different. I am really excited about 2025. Simply because it is a fresh start. Xmas out of the way, time off, and drawing up some big plans for 2025. I have a big vision, big dreams and focus. I have clarity on what I can achieve and what I don't have the energy for. Not just in work but personally. 

So if Christmas is feeling like a burn out to you, even if you don't feel like you have even got started and you are on the burn out, you aren't alone. Dark nights, wet weather, no money, Christmas pressure, exhaustion and the expectation to be bloody merry and excited gets to us all! 

I promise, I am not the Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge; I'm just a mum winging it from day to day! 

Oh and  before I go lets not forget the next 2 weeks of hyped up, over excited but also slightly bored kids at home...! - another blog for another day!

Vicky xx