Merry Christmas!!!
I feel terrible for the lack of blog posts recently – focusing on my health and recovery, as well as the busy-ness of Christmas and birthdays, has meant I just haven’t had time to devote to this blog. I am very excited to also be starting a Masters course next year, so I have also been taking time to mentally and more practically prepare for that. Christmas is one of my favourite times of year, and I am very, very, very excited to be spending this Christmas out of hospital, FREE, and with loved ones. That’s how Christmas should be – spent with family, or friends, celebrating life and just being happy.

I’m not saying Christmas is an easy time of year – it’s cold, it can be stressful, there’s all sorts of pressures and social expectations…it can be confusing, and difficult to manage, and very overwhelming. But there’s something I really do love abut Christmas. It’s hard to place exactly why I love it so much..I think perhaps it’s the feeling of everyone coming together and getting ‘into’ something. Christmas has become a huge passion, perhaps even a special interest of mine, and almost like a school project, I throw all my energy into it! Festive decorations, festive crafts, festive show-and-film watching, festive music! I do a big haul of festive treats and review them all! I spend lots of time picking, and sometimes making, presents for people! And I try to plan in Christmas activities like doing a light trail or baking Christmasy bakes! The best bit for me is probably just the joy of it all? It’s a bit of an escape!
Perhaps that’s why I like to make a big deal out of any celebration or holiday – it’s an escape!?

But ANYWAY. I hope you have a good Christmas, even if you aren’t as big a fan as me (or maybe you are, and you’re also extremely excited for the big day!!), and that you have been enjoying the festive break so far.

Some Christmassy things I’ve been doing, or that are notable, this year:

• I have been crafting: crocheting some presents for my grandparents, painting a peg doll nativity and building a little stable and manger for it, and painting some wooden shaped decorations for our tree
• I decided to treat myself to some Christmas nails, which has felt wonderful – for many years I have said I will do nice things like this ‘when I’m well’, but my social worker said that this seemed quite punishing, and reminded me that I deserve nice things even if I’m frustrated at the pace of my recovery…and actually, having them done made me feel more motivated and determined!
• As per my special interest in food, I have been baking lots, and my ‘festive food haul reviews’ included 32 packs of mince pies, as well as other festive goodies, and I ate at least half of each pack (others were shared with family and friends)
• I have been kind to myself and been aware of my limits – not planning too many events all in one go, and recognising that a trip out can tire me out for a day, so resting before and after it
• I have spent lots of time with family, watching Christmas shows and films, but also communicated when I have felt tired of socialising, and from all the stimulation of a show/film, and needed a break
• I have met up with a few friends, and have been honest with them about being tired or unable to do certain things (e.g. being out in the cold) because of my health and/or autism
• I have enjoyed the festive events of many of my special interests, such as visiting the Pokemon Christmas tree display in the Westfields shopping centre!!

What have you been doing?