The importance of switching off

This Monday I was sitting at home wondering why I didn't feel the least bit festive. It just felt like a regular day, nothing special, even though I knew that Christmas was four days away. While I was scrolling through facebook I saw a post saying: "Christmas is in four days and I've never felt less Christmassy in my life. It related to me so much, it was exactly how I was feeling. I felt more festive in November than I did then! No matter how many times I listened to the Micheal Buble Christmas album or watched a Christmas movie,  I wasn't in the festive spirit at all.

I read the comments to this post, hoping for some scope on the situation and what others had to say.

"Maybe if there was more snow on the ground and fewer bills it would feel like Xmas lmao"

"Bills ruin my fun every holiday lol"

"It's nothing to do with age. Christmas should be kept in December. It's so commercialized, they were selling advent calendars in September! The spirit is ruined by materialism."

But there was one comment that really hit me and struck a chord:
"It's because you're all on f**king Facebook scrolling through endless pointless sh*t procrastinating from getting up and doing something festive like carol singing or Christmas shopping or wrapping or watching Christmas films with the family because you'd rather like or share a video of someone doing it on Facebook to show that you're "festive""

He's right though isn't he? We're all distracted by social media as if we've got nothing better to do! And it sucks, it sucks so bad that we've been brainwashed and taken over by the internet during a time that we should be focusing on spending time with family, laughing and living. Like truly living, without a mobile phone in hand, doing something little like playing a game monopoly and arguing because someone is cheating, or going out for a walk to look at all the Christmas lights.

Switch off. Seriously I mean it, it makes all the difference. Yesterday I managed to do so much just by leaving my phone alone! I watched two Christmas movies with my siblings, played monopoly with my sister and laughed at how she bought every street she landed on! We even created a dance routine to "All I want for Christmas" and performed it for a mum like the good old days. I wrapped the rest of Mum's presents as well as write up the time schedules for the Christmas dinner so that all the food would be taken out and served on time. I can't say I had my phone switched off for long, I turned it off for about an hour until I turned it back on. However I only had it there to answer messages and that was about it. And finally, after I thought there was no hope of feeling Christmassy or festive, the feeling of festivity flooded in and I felt so happy and excited.

I seriously suggest you give your phone and the internet a break this Christmas. I will be, and I know that it will make me feel so much happier. I wish you the merriest of Christmases and a fabulous new year.

Much love,

Lauren