the need for pause

I've put 'writing' aside until after Christmas, so that I had time to get everything prepared that needs doing.  I received a reminder from my tutor recently about making sure I'm working on several writing projects that are not official 'assignments' and on receiving this email I started getting twitchy...realising I was missing writing, even if it is only a temporary lull.  I realised I was suffering a kind of withdrawal, and had to flick through my 'ideas' pages, to remind myself of all the things I'll be able to work on next year.  Still, I'm feeling somewhat agitated without it.  I suppose that's a good thing?!

So easy to get harried and harrassed by Christmas preparations...to almost see it as an inconvenience - not because of the occasion itself, but because of all that comes with it, and time spent on sorting and preparing and...  Any one else in danger of feeling this way?

I have to take time out to remind myself this is advent, not a time of panic but a time of preparation. 

To try and...

Light a candle. Put on some soothing music. Stop, for just a moment.

What do you do to break out of the 'manic' and remind yourself of the specialness of the season, instead of the busyness...?

Instead of unhelpful expectations of things that really don't matter, in the big scheme of things?

In order to focus on the things that do matter?