Simone Louise
Christmas is the season to be jolly but it can bear some weight on us. We all feel the pressure to show up and deal with the Christmas pressures whether it’s emotionally, financially and just having it all together. So what can we do to combat some of this stress and protect our mental health this festive season?
A YouGov survey from 2019 says “Over two in five Brits have felt stressed during the festive season, while about one in four has struggled with anxiety or depression.”
Family get-togethers can be intense and easily become overwhelming. Some of us love the big gatherings around the Christmas tree and some, like myself, prefer the more intimate events. As I’ve gotten older, the latter seems to be more my cup of tea. It is important to remember that your mental health still matters. So, here are some tips for looking after your mental health this season?
Self Care
Taking care of yourself is important for your mental health. We can get overwhelmed at any moment and it’s important to remind ourselves that we can’t have it all together all at once, so remember that it’s ok to take some time to yourself.
Take a day to pamper yourself, maybe run a bath with your favourite festive scents. Think of it as a rest day. Have a nice hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows for good measure. And don’t forget the mince pies or freshly baked cookies.
Decorate your space
Get some colourful fairy lights and put them around to bed to give a cosy feel. Or, why not get a little Christmas tree and add baubles of your choosing? Treat yourself to an advent calendar, it could be your favourite chocolate or beauty brand. What about getting a festive duvet set and pillows to make your bed nice and cosy and why not top it off with draping your headboard with a garland?
If you have a desk in your room, you could decorate it with some Christmas ornaments and candles. Have a corner space to go and relax.
Have realistic expectations about family gatherings
“give yourself the space to be you.”
If Christmas is a tough time for you, that is ok. Sometimes family can get a bit much for many of us whether you’ve been estranged from them for any reason or you’ve dealt with bereavement. So give yourself space to feel what you need to feel.
Because on many occasions, family members tend to have a habit of passing judgement about life choices, such as not going by societies standards of settling down or having a successful career. Many of us have family strains and the weight of their expectations can get too much. Know when to remove yourself from a situation that is making you uncomfortable. Also, give yourself the space to be you.
Have your own kind of Christmas
Want to have your favourite festive playlist blaring through the speakers or Christmas films playing one after the other with no interruptions? Do it. Watch some feel-good Christmas films, from cheesy rom coms to the family favourites.
You can even create your own Christmas traditions, it could be something like: baking festive cookies, mince pies or cinnamon treats with a modern spin. Or making your own wreath. Grab a spare jar and add some colourful fairy lights, cut up some tinsel and you’ve got yourself a fairy lights lantern. Pop on your festive PJs or onesie
Bear in mind, whilst it might be Christmas – you are not obligated to celebrate it! Put yourself first.
Go for a walk
“The thing about Christmas is that it almost doesn’t matter what mood you’re in, or what kind of year you’ve had – it’s a fresh start.”
If socialising, or simply putting on a fake smile gets a bit much, try and take yourself away if you can and go for a walk. Wrap up warm and watch the neighbours’ Christmas display or, if you want to go a little be further, why not go to a Christmas market and surround yourself with festive smells.
The thing about Christmas is that it almost doesn’t matter what mood you’re in, or what kind of year you’ve had – it’s a fresh start. Sometimes our social batteries need recharging every so often and you don’t need to give into the pressures that come with it.
Whatever your plans are for Christmas, take it easy and let yourself rest because you deserve it! This year has been tough for all of us, and for some more than others. Despite what Christmas movies want us to believe, reality rarely delivers. You don’t need to go all out with decorating to perfection or rushing to get gifts. Christmas is an over-commercialised holiday that we should all enjoy, but the priority should be on our mental wellbeing.
If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, please contact Samaritans.
Featured image courtesy of Lynda Hinton on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to the image.
