Christmas Day: Values Over Perfection
Christmas Day has a reputation for being glittering, cinematic, and emotionally seamless. Real life, of course, is usually far more textured: a mix of connection, familiarity, small delights, quiet moments, and the occasional surprise.
Whatever today looks like for you, I wish you a day that supports your psychological wellbeing.
One of the most protective things you can do for that wellbeing is remarkably simple:
Celebrate what you genuinely enjoy, and honour what truly matters to you.
Not what tradition insists on.
Not what social media performs at scale.
Not what the “perfect Christmas” ideal prescribes.
Just what holds meaning for you.
🎁 Christmas isn’t a performance — it’s a preference
Much of the pressure people associate with Christmas comes from the idea that it needs to be done a certain way. In reality, there is no universal right.
If you love a quiet morning, protect it.
If you enjoy the energy of a busy kitchen, lean into that.
If food is your highlight, savour it.
If people are your highlight, give them your attention.
If your joy comes from simplicity or routine, that counts too.
Choosing the parts of Christmas that you genuinely enjoy is how joy and meaning are created.
⭐ Let your values be your compass
Values are the principles that guide how we want to live — not just today, but always. On a day that can hold many different moments, returning to your values gives you direction.
If you imagine values as a compass, they don’t tell you exactly where to go or how fast to move — they simply help you stay oriented toward what matters. Much like a compass placed at the top of a Christmas tree surrounded by familiar decorations, it offers guidance without demanding perfection or precision.
You might choose one or two values to hold lightly today:
Connection
Ease
Humour
Gratitude
Authenticity
Calm
Playfulness
Kindness
Then let that value guide one small action:
If you value connection, be fully present for one meaningful conversation.
If you value ease, simplify something or accept help.
If you value authenticity, give yourself permission to step away when you need to.
If you value calm, take a quiet pause and notice your breathing.
These small, values-led choices are genuine deposits in your mental health piggy bank — and they add up.
✨ Joy in small, honest moments
You don’t need grand gestures for Christmas to feel nourishing. Often, it’s the smaller moments that stay with us:
a laugh you didn’t expect
a warm drink
a familiar taste
a quiet conversation
a patch of winter light
a pet settling nearby
a task that went smoothly
a breath that softens your shoulders
Noticing what genuinely brings warmth or ease helps anchor you in the day as it is, rather than how it “should” be.
🎄 A simple way to anchor the day
If you’d like a gentle reflection, try this:
The part of today I most want to honour is…
The value I want to show up with is…
One small thing that brings me comfort or joy today is…
That’s enough. There’s no need to do more.
💛 My Christmas Message
Festive or understated, your Christmas Day doesn’t need to be flawless to be meaningful.
Celebrate what you genuinely enjoy, honour the moments that matter to you, and let go of the rest. Small, values-aligned choices still count — especially when they’re made with intention and kindness.
Wherever you are today, and however Christmas is unfolding for you, I wish you moments of ease, warmth, and quiet joy — and a few gentle deposits in your mental health piggy bank to carry forward into the days ahead.