The festive season can be a time of joy, although it can also be a time of challenges and overwhelm. We share 5 tips to help you cope with the tricky issues that can turn the festive season into one you need a holiday from. Studies have shown that a quarter of people state that Christmas makes their mental health worse and over half feel worried about the mental health of someone they know at Christmas time¹.
1. It’s OK to be different
The message from the media and society in general is that there is a right way to do Christmas and that Christmas is compulsory. We may feel under pressure to conform and join the crowd. Tip 1 is that it’s okay to be different. It’s a myth that there is a right way to celebrate Xmas or feel about Xmas. We all just find a way.
2. Our lives are not perfect
Some of us feel our loneliness more at Christmas time if we don’t have lots of invitations from friends or family to spend Christmas with. In this changing world, the image of an ideal family that love to spend Christmas together is not the majority experience. Lucky you if you have that, but many people live alone or have more complicated lives than in sitcoms like Outnumbered; marriage, children, pets and cuddly grandparents are not necessarily ‘the norm’.
3. Don’t ‘take the bait’
It’s usually better to detach and avoid conflict than to win the point. In the end, its better not to get irritated with the teenage step-daughter who sits reading a book at the table, while everyone around them lends a hand. If you get irritated, others may target you instead; sensing vulnerability, they may ‘close ranks’ around her, and make you look–and feel-bad.
4. You can’t conjure up past feelings to order
Your childhood Christmases may have been magical. IF they were, we can’t reliably repeat the past. Feeling magical on Christmas morning might be like feeling romantic to order, on Valentine’s Day. Do what you can to make it enjoyable, but don’t worry too much about your mood perfectly matching the occasion.
5. Christmas is coming… and going
If you love Christmas, count the days on your advent calendar! If you dread it, count the days and add two: That’s when it will be over.
References:
1. YouGov UK (2019)
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