photo credit: techmeister
Did you know that there are more suicides at Christmas time than any other time of the year? Did you know there are more runaways, family arguments and violent domestic acts on the 25th of December than any other day of the year? This supposedly joyous time of year can actually be quite devastating. Many people experience a lot of angst, anxiety and family related stress.
In this post I want to give you 17 simple mantras that you can use to help you get through your Christmas issues.
1. Today is only 24 hours long
2. Tomorrow will be better
3. Everyone here is doing their best
4. These people are my family, I should give them a second chance
5. I should try to be an example for everyone here
6. Do it for the children
7. Christmas is not about gifts
8. Patience is the most powerful retaliation
9. Compassion can get me through anything
10. Anger only results in more anger
11. Everyone has their own problems that made them this way
12. I did the best I could
13. I don’t dislike that person, I dislike their behavior
14. I will love each person like my own mother
15. There is no shame is responding with humility
16. This person will be gone one day, is this argument worth it?
17. Just be happy
I know these mantras are nothing special. However, sometimes when you are feeling anxious or angry you need a little mental reminder to keep you on track. For all of you out there who feel like Christmas is a horrible time of year, please remember that it won’t last forever. Try to have a good day.
From the bottom of my heart I wish all of my readers out there a fantastically Merry Christmas! I hope your day is generous, positive and extremely love-filled. I hope that tomorrow you reconnect with your family and friends and put aside your differences and squabbles and just enjoy the opportunity to be together.
Merry Christmas!
18. thank god this only happens once a year.
Haha – I like it!
Hey man, Happy Holidays to you too! Your suicide stat is a misnomer, just thought I’d point that out. Its “common knowledge” that suicide goes up over the holidays, but the research hasn’t demonstrated this conclusively. Here’s the article on snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/suicide.asp The articles cited are from 1995 so definitely getting a bit old, but probably still pretty accurate. This is a critique I have for most the blogs I read, I see info tossed out constantly and its never cited, there’s never any real proof that what was said was true, or just made up on the spot for the convenience of the message. There’s certainly a place for this, otherwise parables wouldn’t be useful at all, but it seems to be a major limitation of the blogosphere and the credibility of bloggers as a group. I think when the culture improves in this more academic sense, the blog world will gain more traction in the world of research. I just never had a chance to mention it to someone. I see Leo at Zenhabits throw stuff out all the time that isn’t cited, so you are in excellent company 🙂 Hope you have a fantastic day, and those mantras are worth remembering for sure. Its all impermanent, there is no spoon 🙂
~Mickey
Hey Mickey.
Thanks for pulling me up on my lack of academic integrity! Damn you… 😉
The only thing I was going by in regards to suicides on Xmas was my mother in law who is the head nurse at a hospital hotline. She tells me that Xmas is the only time they put on extra staff to deal with the chaos.
But, looking into it more it might be a rumor.
Thanks mate. And thanks for all your contributions this year. Means a lot.
TDM
Hehe, 🙂 Hope you have a great holiday, and I’ve so enjoyed your blog this year, and look forward to many more. Will shoot you an update in the next few weeks regarding the website, still stacking the blocks on this end.
~Mickey
Although the “default” gathering is usually with family members, if being around friends and friends’ families instead is a better alternative, why not?
Why is it that so many people feel obligated to spend time with squabbling family members on Christmas when they wouldn’t choose to spend time with them any other day of the year?
It seems better to flee from the drama and find festivity elsewhere. (And I agree with Mantra #18.)