A wellbeing expert has advised Brits to keep their plans for the festive season ‘realistic’ to avoid pre-Christmas anxiety.
With many people finding the Christmas period stressful, Lynn Crilly has put together a plan to help people cope with the additional pressures the season brings.
“It may be the most wonderful time of year for some people, but it may be the worst time of year for others as they find Christmas and the holiday season extremely stressful and difficult,” says Lynn, the author of Hope with Depression: a self-help guide for those affected and their families, friends and carers
“The run up to Christmas can be difficult for anyone, at any time in their life. You may be struggling this year for the first time, or you may have found last year or the year before hard and are therefore dreading it all this year.
“The festive period comes with many pressures: having more social commitments than usual, apprehension over family get-togethers or the temptation to overindulge in food and or drink, let alone the added anxiety of how you are going to pay for all of this.
“And with social media, adverts on television and glossy magazines, we are constantly bombarded with picture-perfect Christmas tables and families in matching pyjamas with beautifully decorated homes. But for many of us, this is far from reality.”
Medical studies have found that depression around Christmas is linked to people’s belief that everyone else is having a good time and engaged in loving family relationships.
Surveys in the UK have also found that around a third of Brits experience anxiety around the festive season.
“As hard as it is, it is important not to get taken in by too many of these unrealistic images, which can leave you with feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem,” says Lynn. “This can leave you feeling like you have failed before it has even started.
“Christmas, whatever you’re doing and whoever you are with, is meant to be a time of peace, rest and relaxation for everyone including you.
“If you are experiencing high levels of anxiety from worrying about the weeks ahead, you may find that planning ahead to help to try and reduce some added pressures on you.”
Here wellbeing expert Lynn has provided her top ideas to make your life easier over Christmas.
- Keep your expectations realistic
Try not to get to caught up in what you think the Christmas holidays are meant to look like and feel like. If you are constantly comparing your festivities to a perfect shop picture, you will more than likely come short. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, do what is right for you and at a realistic level for your financial pocket to.
- Be Positive
Don’t start the Christmas holidays assuming the worst. If you take each day as it comes, good and bad, more often than not it will be better than you originally expected.
- Do Something Different
If you are fed up at the prospect of doing the same thing that you did last year, the year before that and the year before that, try something new. Last year, we had a barbecue on Christmas Day and it was great fun and we all enjoyed mixing the day and the food up a bit, so much so we have decided to do it again this year.
- Forget what is not important
Don’t run yourself ragged making sure all the decorations are up, everyone has a thought out gift, exciting food or trying to meet up with people just because it is Christmas. None of this is important. What really matters is you and the people you love. Focus on time, by which I mean good quality time including time set out for you.
- Volunteer
While we all may be feeling overwhelmed with our to do list, it may be worth just thinking about doing something nice for someone less fortunate than you. Whether it is taking someone shopping, keeping an older person company for an hour or even volunteering at a soup kitchen, it is a well-known fact that we always feel better when we have done something positive for someone else and made their life a bit better.
- Don’t be afraid to cut out potential problems
Have a think about which people and situations trigger your stress levels more than others and don’t be afraid to minimise them or even avoid them completely. I always say live by your limits and triggers for a peaceful mind.
- Ask for help
Asking for help is a sign or strength not weakness. We all need help at some point in our lives, whether it be from family, friends or a professional. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Don’t think that because it’s Christmas you shouldn’t feel anxious – and the data shows that you are not alone.
The Charity Sane have a helpline that is open 365 days a year from 4pm -10pm 0300 304 7000
