Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

As a child, Christmas was always a happy time, who can resist present openings and eating yummy food, plus all the adults in my world seemed to be in fun mode.

But as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realise that Christmas can be quite traumatic for many people; financial hardship, separation, family breakdowns and health issues can be exacerbated at this time. If this is you, what are some things you can do?

Here’s some fun things:

• Be prepared, make your day special by organising for a friend to be with- you may be surprised at who else is by themselves.
• Attend a church service.
• Prepare a fun cooking activity- I like the sound of making a “Gingerbread house” out of Tim Tams!
• Make a fun craft.
• Deliver homemade biscuits to your neighbours on the day.
• Dance in the kitchen, on the coffee table or outside in nature. (I’ve done the nature dancing a few times when no one is around and it’s really amazing how great you feel after!)
• Buy a special outfit for the day, even if you’re the only one to see it- but that won’t be the case because you’ll be out walking or attending church 😉

Here’s some meditative activities:

• Make a list of all the good things in your life to be thankful for, thank God for these.
• Listen to music, worship music is particularly good. (when I’m really depressed I buy a whole album! I’ve got a few 😊)
• Light a scented candle.
• Go for a walk in nature.
• Reach out to someone, Lifeline or Beyond Blue are a great start.

Just remember this is just one day of the year, this too will pass.

You’ve got this- because God’s got you.

Be Blessed. Yvette Wynne