December Newsletter

• Mr Curly’s Good Advice
• 8 Tips for a Happy Christmas

Mr Curly’s Good Advice

You’re probably familiar with Michael Leunig’s cartoons and his cute little characters with big noses. In 2001 Leunig published the Curly-Pyjama Letters, a collection of exchanges between the wise Mr Curly and the adventurous Vasco Pyjama. 

In one letter, Vasco asks Mr Curly, “What is worth doing and what is worth having?”

Mr Curly’s response should be advice to us all.

He says, “It is worth doing nothing and it is worth having a rest. In spite of all the difficulty it may cause, you MUST rest, Vasco — otherwise you will become RESTLESS!”

Rest is critical to good health and well functioning hormones. It is also harder and harder to come by, given we now live in a world that is always “on”.

Down time can be even more scarce than normal in December. We may be wrapping up the year’s work as well as attending Christmas get-togethers, shopping for presents and organising families and holidays. Traffic, heat, humidity, crowds and queues make it even more of a feat to get to the 25th feeling reasonably sane.

In addition, many people have found 2009 challenging. The GFC is part but not all of it. So as the first decade of this new century comes to an end, be mindful of Mr Curly’s advice. Doing nothing and having a rest is not time-wasting. It’s something we MUST do. You might have to plan to do nothing, but it’s worth it.

8 Tips for a Happy Christmas

In spite of the hype, Christmas is not always a source of peace and joy. Here are a few suggestions for making it as stress-free as possible.

1. Recognise that there is no need to overspend. Many people are feeling the financial squeeze, so keep Christmas within your means.
2. Be realistic about Christmas Day. It’s rarely perfect, so let go of your expectations, and refuse to get irritated or upset. Especially as families get more blended and extended, it’s uncommon to like everyone in the clan.
3. Make the 25th easy on yourself. Don’t commit to doing so much food preparation or house cleaning that you’re exhausted and over it by the time people come together.
4. Many of us expect to overeat on Christmas Day, but there really is no need. If you want to eat lightly, stick to salads with simple olive oil dressing, plus meat, poultry or seafood, and fresh fruit On the other hand, if this is your favourite day of indulgence, enjoy the heck out of it. On Boxing Day you can get back to being sensible.
5. Christmas Day can stir up memories and emotions, but it’s a mistake to smother with them with food and drink. Get support or find someone to talk to instead.
6. If you have lots of groups to catch up with around Christmas, pace yourself. Don’t feel obliged to eat and drink heartily with everyone.
7. Get some exercise— in the cooler parts of the day. If not on Christmas Day, at least in the days following. You’ll feel better for getting out and doing something physical.
8. Don’t wait for the right circumstances to feel happy, because they might not show up this Christmas. Find something to be happy about, or decide to be happy just because you can.

Until next time

Dr Rhonda Anderson

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