There is something about this time of year that brings out both the best and the hardest in us.
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The world around us moves into celebration mode as lights go up, school concerts finish and people count down to holidays.
There is excitement in the air, yet beneath the surface many of us feel something more complicated.
This season can be overwhelming.
For years I would joke that I was a bit of a Grinch.
I did not dislike Christmas itself. I disliked the pressure that seemed to wrap tightly around it.
The deadlines.
The rush to finish everything on time.
The expectation to be everywhere and to do it all with a smile.
The pressure to create something picture perfect even on the days you feel tired or stretched thin.
It made me want to step back rather than lean in.
December has a way of amplifying whatever is already present in our lives.
If you are busy you feel busier.
If you are tired you feel completely drained.
If you are lonely the loneliness grows louder.
If your family carries tension it can feel as if every small crack is suddenly under a spotlight.
It can be a beautiful month, but it can also be one of the hardest.
Another truth we do not speak about often is the way this time of year affects our relationships.
Friendships, work relationships, romantic relationships, even the simple everyday connections that keep life feeling steady.
Everyone is stretched thinner than usual.
Everyone is trying to get across the line.
Stress sits close to the surface and patience wears down faster.
In that space small misunderstandings can grow quickly.
A short message.
A sharper tone.
A cancelled plan.
A moment where someone does not have their usual softness available.
This is where we need to be careful.
Do not let a relationship fracture because either of you is operating with an empty tank.
December can twist things out of shape. Reactions come from exhaustion rather than intent.
Feelings flare that have nothing to do with the person standing in front of you.
Then January arrives.
The days slow down.
Life softens.
You take a breath.
You begin to reflect and realise you may not have meant that comment.
You see that the other person was not trying to upset you.
They were responding from their own stress and so were you.
Many people enter a new year with quiet regrets that could have been avoided with a little more space and a little more grace.
Making space for relationships does not require big gestures.
It is a pause before reacting.
A softer tone when you feel tense.
A check-in rather than an assumption.
A reminder that the season will pass but the people you care about remain.
Protecting your relationships now means giving everyone, including yourself, a little more room to breathe.
I’m trying to approach this month with presence over performance, to keep the important parts of the season and let go of the rest.
Reminding myself that everyone is carrying something unseen.
Perhaps the greatest gift we can offer each other is patience, kindness and the understanding that life looks very different on the other side of Christmas.
If you let it consume you, you might just be missing the entire point.