Welcome back,

In many countries across the world,  lights line the streets, restaurants compete to sell the most festive items and relatives gather to celebrate Christmas. These things cause the mood to present itself as cheery and bright, however, if you’re one of the people battling with physical or mental health problems throughout this period, your emotions are still very, very valid.

It can be extremely frustrating attempting to bottle up your pain/emotions in order to present yourself in a certain way or match the mood of those around you, but you should remember it’s perfectly okay to cancel plans, not look your happiest, or do whatever else you need to do to care for yourself during this period. It is hard to accept, but the people who truly deserve you will be accepting and accommodating of your struggles.

It’s important to remember that you are not responsible for your suffering and should not be made to feel as such. Whatever it is that you have going on, is something circumstances have brought upon you, and you should remember that apologizing for something you did not cause can be very damaging to your long-term mental health.

To conclude, your feelings this season are valid and you don’t owe anyone an apology in return for your own self-respect, health or long-term happiness. Be kind to those around you, be kind to yourself and spread some love this Christmas season.

Model in photo: Flordelisbrasil

Take care,

~Jaya x