Finding grace at Christmas
The Australian Women's Weekly|Christmas 2023
At this time of year, joy, anxiety, frustration and loneliness co-exist in the emotional holiday melting pot - but it's also when, more than ever, experiencing awe connects us, explains Julia Baird.
Finding grace at Christmas

If there were such a thing as a reservoir of grace, many of us would be repeatedly lowering buckets into it over the Christmas months. One bucket to steady ourselves for lunch with difficult relatives, colleagues and random ring-ins. A dozen more to steel ourselves against a sense of isolation, financial constraint or the sadness that can descend on the imperfect days where Instagram tells us perfect families frolic on the beach and sit happily around tables groaning with food.

Thanks to my carol-singing, angel-loving and ever-calm mother, I’ve always loved Christmas – the sparkle and kitsch, the carols and candles, the board games, the giving and the joy. But it’s also a time of reckoning, and exhaustion.

According to Relationships Australia, Christmas is considered to be one of the most stressful life events, along with divorce, moving house and changing jobs. Much of the stress springs from the mayhem, the crowds, the costs, the catering, the buying presents – a survey of 3000-odd people found 86 per cent particularly struggled with gift selection. 

But for many, the sources of anxiety run much deeper. It’s the time of year that people are most likely to experience depression, often triggered by divorce, unemployment or having lost a family member. Throw in drugs, alcohol and gambling and we have a heady, heavy brew.

A 2022 New Zealand study of 20,000 people found that almost half of the adult population dread this time of year, and struggle with getting everything done (mall on Christmas Eve anyone?). Apparently, things get most tense in the third week of December. (It’s worth noting two out of three enjoyed themselves in the end, despite it all.)

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLYView all
Hitting a nerve
The Australian Women's Weekly

Hitting a nerve

Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
Take me to the river
The Australian Women's Weekly

Take me to the river

With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
The last act
The Australian Women's Weekly

The last act

When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
The Australian Women's Weekly

MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN

When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
The wines and lines mums
The Australian Women's Weekly

The wines and lines mums

Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.

time-read
10 mins  |
July 2024
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
The Australian Women's Weekly

Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?

Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Growing happiness
The Australian Women's Weekly

Growing happiness

Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
The Australian Women's Weekly

"Thank God we make each other laugh"

A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:

time-read
7 mins  |
July 2024
Winter baking with apples and pears
The Australian Women's Weekly

Winter baking with apples and pears

Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Budget dinner winners
The Australian Women's Weekly

Budget dinner winners

Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024