The good-enough Christmas
I’ve already started thinking about Christmas dinner — the shopping lists, the table settings, who’s coming when. Before I knew it, I was caught up in the familiar pull toward getting it just right. And that’s often where the stress begins: in the quiet hope that this year will be perfect.
Christmas has a way of feeding perfectionism. It’s a season full of expectation — the perfect meal, the perfect tree, the perfect version of ourselves.
When I was young, we didn’t get our Christmas tree until December 22. It felt special and simple. Over time it’s crept earlier and earlier, and so too has the pressure to create a flawless, Hallmark version of happiness. It’s a busy time — family dynamics, financial worries, social events — and we rarely meet those ideals.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be exploring different ways of managing Christmas stress: learning to be good enough, finding mindful connection, and remembering to breathe. In psychotherapy, Donald Winnicott wrote about the “good enough mother” concept — not perfect, but real and responsive. We can borrow that wisdom for the season itself.
What if we aimed for a good-enough Christmas? That might mean keeping to a simple budget, saying no to one more event, or laughing when the roast potatoes burn. It might mean allowing sadness or loneliness without pretending everything’s fine. Christmas doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. When we let go of pressure and allow space for gratitude, connection, and rest, we often discover that “good enough” is more than enough.
Chris Place will be offering more suggestions on supporting your mental health in December issues of the Galway Advertiser. He can be contacted at www.galwaycitycounselling.ie, phone 083 881 7073.
Chris Place is an accredited counsellor, psychotherapist and vice chair of the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP ), Galway City Counselling, and host of TherapyTalks podcast.
