Advent Calendar For Those Who Are Dreading Christmas

I'd rather have one with chocolates

allsortsofbags what a good idea! Yes, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by “what ifs” and “if only”, especially at this time of year when every advert, every magazine, lots of TV programmes are showing us perfectly cooked turkeys served up to impeccably behaved children and smiling relatives, when many of us feel that we’re only just holdoing things together. Just reminding ourselves of the things we can do, the successes we have had and are having every day, can do a lot to improve our lives.

yggdrasil Good idea, for any of us who like chocolates we could arrange that as well

In fact if we bought our own chocolates we'd be sure to get exactly what we like and if we feel like pushing the boat out so much the better

allsortsofbags This is a terrific idea and thanks for posting about it. Although I have a lot of allergies and food intolerances, there is just one brand of 100% chocolate that doesn't make me ill, so I'm going to go for it - a positive daily message with a chunk of choc! Because I'm worth it

152 days until Easter. The first door on the Easter Day calendar has a plain chocolate Brazil nut inside.

days.to/easter/2019

Or we could just try this?

www.santagames.net/calendar/index.htm

No Brazil nuts?

phoenix that's a great idea too.

Lovely suggestion, thanks for joining in and putting something forward :-)

Anything that helps people who find the run up to Christmas as difficult as Christmas.

For me it was about finding ways to have something positive/ happy, anything to brighten the days.

More ideas very welcome.

I love the santagames. I often play online solitaire and try and beat my own record of 2.49. Anything to keep the brain alert.
It's a good idea.

Anything that puts a smile on your face, gives you something positive everyday is what I was thinking.

So if it's something from the past that made you happy, things you've done that made you proud, write it down, just think about it.

Or if it's something you can do on any given day that makes you happy, feel proud, have a sense of achievement that's good too.

It's about having something everyday to be happy about, proud about so whatever works.

But more than anything if it's something personal that makes some part of your day better, if it helps you feel good - Job Done

A chocolate one would fulfill the same end for me - as long as it's not one of the cheap nasty ones

Message plus room for a choccy

I think that, if you're on your own this Christmas, book a massage for the 23rd or 24th and buy some luxe loungewear to wear all day. On Christmas Eve wrap up a box of fav chocs and prepare a tray of breakfast goodies, muesli, yogurt, fruit, croissants, coffee...whatever your fancy is. On Christmas morning, put on your favourite CD or radio station, have a leisurely bath with candles lit and luxury products, dress in your loungewear (there are gorgeous dressing gowns in M&S) put the coffee on and warm the croissants.
Bliss. Enjoy.

Christmas is as easy or difficult as obe makes it.

Who's this "Obe" when he/she is at home? Why would he/she choose to make some peoples Christmas difficult and some easy? That's not very nice is it ?

My DGC and I are composing an alternative to "The 12 days of Christmas" during our long journeys to/from school. We are having a giggle trying to remember all the things our true loves are giving to us.....

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a nice cup of Yorkshire tea.....

Needless to say the DGC's were a bit more extravagant.

GabriellaG your Christmas ideas for people on their own sound fabulous. Spoiling oneself with personal indulgences. Lovely ideas for a relaxing day. ?

GabriellaG I think your idea is a good one. Too often we don't indulge ourselves enough and just make do if we are alone when really we should be making the most of relaxing and pampering ourselves. Enjoying having control of TV remote so no having to watch a horrible James Bond, who always seems to be on over Christmas.

I have an Advent 'calendar' with 24 small bottles of wine contained therein, courtesy Aldi. By the time Christmas comes I should be fairly blotto ?

I'm loving the ideas here

I enjoy Christmas, when my son died 11 years ago for a few years I did dread it felt guilty to be enjoying Christmas knowing he had died in the most awful circumstances and especially as he loved Christmas too.
But my counsellor gave me good advice and said if your son enjoyed Christmas then make it a day that you come together with your family and remember all the things he loved about Christmas and include that in your day and we did and it made a difference.

I bought a refillable advent calendar for my son (the one who lives here) a few years ago. It's made of cardboard and was in the January sale. It's in the shape of a house with 24 little drawers. There's loads of them about although some of the wooden ones are quite expensive. It would be easy to put a little message in with the chocolates.

Here's a photo

Following on from the comment by allsortsofbags, has anyone done the online course called The Science of Happiness from edX in the US? They recommend keeping a gratitude journal to increase positivity and happiness. I have done it and it actually works! along with their other Three Good Things exercise. Lots more on the Greater Good web site and links below:

ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/gratitude_journal#

ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/three-good-things

greatergood.berkeley.edu/