Paul Harding: Christmas shouldn't bring pressure

Watch out, here it comes again. What, I hear you say, well Christmas of course.

We all love it, don’t we? Well, no, some do not, and I have to say since I was a kid, the festive season seems to have gotten longer and longer. 

I am sure I am not imagining it; what happens is driven by money, of course, with retailers looking to maximise their return from the most lucrative time of the year. 

I mean, who can blame them? It has been a tough time for the shops over the last couple of years. Anyway, there must be a way to avoid submitting to FFS, Festive Fatigue Syndrome; here are some light-hearted ideas for you. 

I actually enjoy Christmas; it is the season of goodwill, after all, so if you can try and embrace the concept, it is not all about expensive presents. As Christmas and the New Year approaches, you can sometimes feel overwhelmed, especially if you have had a difficult year. 

So, I suggest being kind to yourself and to others; it costs nothing, and just changing your perceptions of Christmas can alleviate stress and help your mental health over the holiday season. 

Remember you do not have to prove anything to anyone; perhaps just sit down and watch a romcom. You can start now; they are on TV every day. By the time the big day comes along, just think how many you could have watched.

Now, here is one for homeowners. Do not get caught up in the decorate your house better than your neighbour’s competition. 

Sometimes neighbours will decorate the outside of their house with a myriad of lights, have a snowman and reindeer glowing in their garden, and have a pair of red trousers and black boots sticking out of their chimney. 

My advice is, try not to outdo them. There are numerous health and safety reasons for avoiding clambering around on your roof, and also there are the cost implications to take into account. Let next door do all the work and just enjoy what they have done.

A favourite subject here at Torbay Hospital Radio is Christmas music. Some cannot get enough of it; other presenters hate the genre. 

I am in the camp that likes it, but not all the time and not for the entire period from Halloween to Boxing Day. One of my colleagues is doing a rundown of the Hospital Radio presenters favourite seasonal songs. Having seen the list, I can see great variety; it just goes to prove you do not have to listen to Slade, Wizzard and Michael Bublé all through December, there are literally thousands of songs to choose from. We will be playing a huge range of songs during the next month; we don’t start playing them until December.

Another stress point can be Christmas lunch, when tensions among family and friends can bubble over. If you are hosting, perhaps consider separating the warring parties by placing them at opposite ends of the dinner table. 

Of course, if it is really serious and you fear words or maybe sprouts being thrown the entire length of the table, you can avoid this by putting troublemakers next to children or possibly Gran. 

You could even consider inviting different people on different days, but if that seems labour-intensive, maybe a break over Christmas is the answer. It is not too late to book something; maybe a few days with strangers is the way to go.

I know I have joked here, and I know Christmas is not always an enjoyable time for everyone, but remember there are always people you can turn to and that despite the daily news, most people carry kindness in their hearts. It's something here at THR we try to remember, as we know that the people we broadcast to in the hospital are worse off than we are.