Winter Toolkit for the end-of-year period
The Ministry of Love and Empathy wishes happy Christmas preparations for every visitor!
Unfortunately, for many people, December may also be a period of hardship: the Christmas shopping, the end-of-year expenses, the crowd on the streets may well overwhelm the already tired nervous system; the lack of natural light, the cold weather and spending Christmas alone may also mean significant emotional distress.
The Ministry's experts on the subject have assembled a list of personal recommenations that may help with keeping out during this period:
Avoid shopping malls! Although malls may serve as solution for very long shopping lists and errands, the noise, crowd, and excessive amount of Christmas decorations may make it impossible to finish our shopping in our own rhythm, staying calm. According to our experts, it is simply not worth it.
If we can, go outside! Even though winter days are short and the weather is cold, in favor of our mental state, it is imperative that we see nature from time to time!
Limit our news consumption! The world has not gotten a more peaceful place in 2023 and it is unlikely that it will in 2024 either. But we can make a little bit of peace for ourselves at the end of the year, even if that means shutting out the external world. Don't worry, it will not go anywhere.
Try not to use alcohol to soothe our anxiety, nervousness, overwhelm, boredom, lonelyness and despair during the winter and the Christmas celebrations! If you struggle with limiting your alcohol consumption, visit our Department of Addiction and National Alcoholism!
Take account of the past year and prepare to the next one! Try to take some time for ourselves and reflect on the happenings of the last year. We happily recommend using YearCompass, which may help us organize our thoughts and feelings for this time of change. (We advise printing the YearCompass books out and filling them out on paper.)
The Ministry of Love and Empathy wishes merry Christmas and happy New Year for everybody!