An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir November / December 2024 www.military.ie/magazine HEADSPACE & TIMING C hristmas is a time of being together, of celebrating friendship and family, of rest and a bit of excess. It is a beautiful thing to be able to meet with the people that we love and care for, and to share the joy of the Christmas experience after a difficult and eventful year. As with everything else in life, it is important to be careful and to be prepared. We all want to get the most out of this period and to emerge happier, healthier and just a bit more tired on the other side. In the next few paragraphs, I would just like to flag a few issues and to offer a bit of signposting to available resources to help ensure the best possible result for us all this Christmas. Apart from everything else there is real pressure to spend our money! Of course, we want to buy the best presents that we can afford, and to provide the best food and entertainment that we can. But it is important that we avoid creating problems for the future by planning our spending and by making sure that we remain within our budgets. There is a lot of pressure to over-extend. From almost September onwards we are bombarded by advertising, which creates expectations with children and with adults alike. There is always the danger of borrowing too much, or from the wrong place, or of losing control of our credit cards. It is always useful to establish a reasonable budget for our Christmas and then to make sure that we stick as much as we can to it. If you would like a bit of advice and information regarding personal finances, you can visit the money hub at ccpc.ie. Your local PSS team are always available to point you to where you can get the best advice and support in your local area. They say that Christmas is a time of good cheer, and in Ireland this can always be associated with having a few drinks. Whether it's a glass of wine with our food, or a beer or a cocktail or two with our friends on a night out, we have a fine tradition of celebrating with each other. It isn't unknown for someone to break into song, or to tell a long story without too much persuasion. This is part of our culture and can be a wonderful and positive thing. At the same time there can be a downside to alcohol, where use turns into abuse. Alcohol abuse damages our health and can destroy our finances, our sense of self, and our most precious relationships. It is a good idea to be prepared and informed about alcohol before we head fully into the Christmas period. Make your decisions and set your limits in advance so that you get the most out of your celebration. Take a few minutes to visit drinkaware.ie. It is a super resource which informs you and helps you to get a clear picture of your own drinking habits. Your local PSS team can also help you to find the right information in your area. I know we will all think of our Defence Forces colleagues who will be spending Christmas away from home. 125 IRISHBATT are in position in UNIFIL in SOUTH LEBANON, as are our colleagues serving in UNDOF and in UNTSO, and in many other places throughout the world. Here at home some of us will have to perform security and other duties, and of course the Naval Service will continue to BY LT COL JOHN MARTIN, OC PSS

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