Coping with Christmas

Coping with Christmas

For some people Christmas is a time to look forward to, spending time with family and friends, exchanging gifts and enjoying the break from school/work.

It can also be a very stressful time on top of the everyday stresses and worries that we deal with. This could be from the pressure to create and live up to expectations of having the ‘perfect’ Christmas, having the money to finance Christmas (i.e. food, drink, gifts), buying the ‘best’ gifts, spending time with family and perhaps with members who have difficult relationships with one another.

Due to traditions of overindulging in food and drink, it could also be a very vulnerable and stressful time for those who have a difficulty in their eating habits or have an eating disorder. The thought of being around food or a pressure /expectation to eat when at social events or family gatherings can lead to increased stress and anxiety levels.

From any reason why stress levels may increase around the festive period, it can further develop feelings of anxiety, anger, sleep difficulties, isolation, depression and impact upon relationships.

Thankfully, there are some simple, practical steps that we can put in place to deal with such issues during the festive period:

Make sure to socialise : Choose to spend time and socialise with those who you care about the most. Whilst you may feel pressure to spend time with family, try to find a balance between time to relax, rest and socialise. Plan time to participate in fun activities with people who you enjoy being around, which may help to lift your mood, de-stress and feel more relaxed.

Exercise: Exercise helps to lower stress levels and it can help us to take a break from the ‘business’ of preparing for Christmas and throughout the festive period. Don’t stop any exercise routines you may already do throughout the year or you may want to start a new exercise activity to give yourself that break, such as going for a walk, bike ride, swimming or yoga, any activity that you will enjoy and help you to relax.

Personalise your Christmas preparations: Getting things ready for Christmas can feel stressful. There are gifts, food, drinks and decorations to prepare. Perhaps you enjoy baking or being creative with arts/crafts or decorating. How about combining the two and spending time baking some Christmas treats, creating/personalising Christmas cards or crafting your own Christmas decorations? Spending time doing something you enjoy and find relaxing, whilst also preparing for Christmas can help to keep your mood high, stress levels down and feel energised or motivated that you are achieving getting things done ready for Christmas.

Be money-savvy: Budgeting your Christmas spending in advance may help you to feel less stressed, if you are already having money worries or know you have limited spending. Perhaps it’s about individually or as a group to decide on a price limit for each gift you have to buy for one another, choosing which social events you want to attend and can afford or finding alternative cheaper ways to have your money go further, such as making gifts if you are creative, as the activity itself may also help you to feel less stressed. By budgeting in advance, it may also prevent you from any additional stress from bills arriving after Christmas or being in further financial difficulty in the New Year.

Seek professional help: If you find yourself feeling stressed on the run up to Christmas it may be helpful to access some support for yourself or before your stress and anxiety levels become worse, as a preventative strategy, rather than when it has escalated to feeling unmanageable. At any stage counselling can help to address stress-related issues before and during times when you feel under pressure. You can access therapy through your GP, your workplace or you can access it privately.

Author - Myira Khan (BACP Accredited Counsellor and Supervisor in Leicester and Online)

Myira Khan Counselling www.myirakhancounselling.co.uk