'Tis the season

Christmas is my favourite time of year; it always has been, and I have never grown out of it.

I love the build-up as well as the days themselves. However, I recognise this is not the case for everyone and it can be a difficult time. Whether this is due to managing the disappointment at the absence of a ‘Mr Frosty’ in your present stack (despite this being circled in the Argos catalogue in RED!), or sadness at the empty seat at the Christmas dinner table. For me this time has always been a period of celebration, reflection, and planning.

Working at Christmas is different than at any other time of year and I enjoy the change this brings around, albeit along with some challenges. I no longer write the Christmas rota, rush around trying to get people home for Christmas and do not have to manage the last-minute rush for prescriptions or treatment. I used to love Christmas day working and making the day extraordinary for people, both colleagues and those in my care.

I have had my fair share of drama working on Christmas day – storm-caused power cuts, managing drunkenness, staff absence requiring me to cook the Christmas meal (didn’t poison anyone) and the hideousness of my once and only karaoke performance while working in a secure setting, to name but a few. I do miss the buzz of activity and appreciate all the effort of nursing staff in making Christmas special for those we care and support.

Comparing myself to others at Christmas has always been a recipe for dissatisfaction. There will always be people who appear to have the absolute perfect Christmas and have hand made everything and a seemingly endless supply of money and time which can make me feel inadequate. Or those experiencing difficult times due to war, poverty, or loneliness, which can lead me to feel guilty at any pleasure I am having. Social media can exacerbate this. I have learnt to give thought to what my Christmas will look like, what is my budget, who am I buying gifts for, who am I seeing and for how long!

This does maximise my happiness as I have a plan and set boundaries. However, my preparation isn’t perfect, I still manage to buy several tins of Christmas chocolates in advance and still manage to polish them off well in advance. But I don’t let being perfect get in the way of being good. 

I have been the Lead Nurse for Independent Health and Social Care in the South East for just over a year. 2023 has been an interesting year and I have met some inspiring and wonderful people who have taught me a lot about working outside of the public sector. It has certainly been a year of change. But it has been a fantastic year. I have enjoyed visiting many workplaces and meeting people doing some incredible and diverse nursing roles. One of the many great things about nursing is the variety of occupations and people. It has been a real privilege getting to know people and the different sectors they work in.  

I have started planning for 2024, both for my work and for my life in general. I already have a long list of goals: lose weight, be more active, learn to swim, finish my masters, to name but a few. I also appreciate that some of these aspirations will fall by the wayside within weeks of the new year starting. But I always need a starting point and the new year is a great time for me to refresh and reboot with energy. I don’t let being perfect get in the way of being good!

Whatever your plans for the festive season I hope it is amazing, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.