And so the adverts are out, the work party’s in the diary, and someone has already asked what you’re doing for Christmas (for the 11894544 time). These next couple of months for some of us can go by in a messy blur. We lose track of time and ourselves. We can feel at mercy to the perils of the tinsel, but what if we could change that, take autonomy and give this season a different narrative.

We’re not asking you to turn into Papa Noel, but we’re inviting you to give yourself a chance to get through, and to do so in community.

Together, we’ll map out the weeks between now and Christmas Day: the dates, gatherings, traditions and pressure points that usually trip you up, and where you could use a bit more support or switching things up. We’ll decide what to keep, what to change, and what we’re happily leaving behind this year (expect some laughs about what goes in the bin).

Then we’ll turn it into something you can actually use: a week-by-week plan of small, doable commitments to care for yourself, connect with your person, or keep a ritual going. This is gentle accountability for ourself and not another to-do list to feel guilty or sh*tty about.

You’ll leave with: your own festive map, a handful of (gentle) non-negotiables for the weeks ahead, and an optional follow-up task to take into December.

Thursday 12th November, 7-8:15pm BST

Online,Zoom

• Welcome and settle in

• Mapping time: the weeks up to Christmas Day

• Keep, change or bin

• A gentle week-by-week plan and our non-negotiables

• Open for sharing

• Close with the optional Letters to December-you task

• A journal, notebook or paper, or a notes app or Canva if you prefer digital

• Pens, coloured pens, highlighters, stickers, whatever makes it yours!

• Your calendar or diary for November and December

• A cuppa, or something festive.

• Optional: a photo or object that connects you to your person

• Which parts of the festive season tend to catch you off guard? Think about a certain person, environment or element.

• Who are your safe people this season, and who do you need a bit of distance from?

• What did last year teach you about what you need? (Applicable if this isn’t your 1st year!)

• Where does your energy usually run out, and when do you need more rest than you allow yourself?

• Is there a way you’d like to include your person this year, big or small?

• What would make this festive season feel “good enough” to you? Not perfect, just good enough.

• Is there anything you want permission to skip, say no to, or do differently?

• What’s one thing just for you that you’d like to protect in your diary?