Here are a few stressors that affect a lot of people over Christmas:
Finding the ‘right’ gift
Society puts so much emphasis on finding the perfect gift for your family, friend or loved one. So much so that sometimes the stress overshadows the joy of giving the gift. We might spend a lot of time wondering if they will like it, the cost and financial stress, do they already have it. This can cause us to miss out on the buzz and only feel anxiety about the whole event.
All of the planning
The amount of time and effort put into planning the ”perfect Christmas“ is mind boggling. For some it’s just one day of the year, for others, a whole holiday season.
Whether it be decorations, the Christmas ham with all the fittings, or the invitations…
The decorating of the tree takes on a life of its own.
If you are feeling anxious or feeling overwhelmed by it all, you are not alone.
The big one — dealing with Family
We often hear from clients about family tension. Their gritted teeth on Christmas when they have to see their uncle after not seeing them for twelve months. And needing to put on a smile and make small talk with someone they don’t even like.
There is an underlying contract that family is important and therefore everyone should spend Christmas playing happy families despite some real hurt. There may have been a family fight that has divided uncle from nephew, or mother from son, to the extent that the thought of Christmas can be painful.
Being isolated
For some Christmas can be extremely lonely if they need to work. Or if they have been pushed away from family members, or who physically can’t attend for a number of reasons. Some people don’t feel like they belong to a family and are left on their own. For them, the feeling of missing out can be devastating.
So do we just give up on Christmas?
I’m sure many people would like to hide away and shut off from this time of year and the festive season completely. This is totally fine but I also think that we can step back and try to experience the day differently.
Try these four things for a Christmas with less stress:
- Try not buying presents. Or invite a friend who would be alone, or go somewhere different with just you and your intimate family. Spending time with loved ones can be enough. Thinking about things differently makes us stop and attend to what is important.
- Talk to friends and family about how they celebrate Christmas. Sometimes we get so caught up in our process of doing things that we miss doing things in a different and more simplified way.
- Ask yourself: how would it be if there was less stress about the day? How would it be if you could just be yourself and enjoy the time rather than fretting and worrying?
- Give yourself the gift of making Christmas an actual holiday.
Talk to us about how to get through Christmas with less stress
Are you having a tough time thinking about Christmas and what will happen? Do you want to talk about ways to make it less stressful?
Would you like a one-off debriefing session about how to cope better with Christmas stress?
The team at Safe Place Therapy is here for you.
Reach out to us today to think and feel differently.
