Anxiety is a normal human feeling that everyone experiences at one time or another, for example, when faced with a problem at work, making a big decision, or before taking an examination. Anxiety disorders, yet, are different. The despair they cause is so great that it interrupts a person’s ability to lead a day-to-day life. Worry and fear are continuous and overwhelming for people with anxiety disorders and can be crippling.
The Christmas season is represented to be a time of joy, but for many individuals, it can be a time of pressure, anxiety, disappointment, or loneliness. Christmas arrives with high expectations of ideal, happy families enjoying luxurious carnivals and gifts, but not all of us can live up to these ideals.
Christmas can intensify emotions of distress and sadness. For somebody who has recently lost a loved one.
Some individuals experience feelings of aloneness, financial pressures, or increased family competition that can make this a very stressful period of a year.
Asa festive season looms or a trip away, holiday anxiety involves feeling worried and panicky. And it means having increasingly illogical thinking. Other symptoms can include:
- feelings of fear
- sleeplessness
- changes to eating patterns
- increase in bad habits like alcohol
- feeling on edge and having mood swings
- a sense of impending doom
- body tension or an upset stomach
- Heart palpitations and dry mouth.
It’s that period of the year when our social media feeds are full of photographs of social gatherings photos and family and friends celebrating festivals with tang. Scrolling through your phone might sometimes trigger social anxiety, which, during the joyful season, is also termed festive anxiety. It is not unusual, and you should not feel that tension, anxiety, or depression during this period is ‘uncommon.’
Christmas encourages people to spend more, socialize, eat and drink more. Ostensibly fun things can become overwhelming and even isolating for many people. You’re far from alone. Christmas anxiety is common. Especially for those already dealing with anxiety and health problems.
According to the American Psychological Association, 38% of people studied said their stress is raised during the vacation season, which can lead to physical sickness, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. The reasons are given: a shortage of time, financial stress, gift-giving, and family gatherings.
Reasons for Christmas anxiety or depression
- Family issues: Fertility problems, miscarriage or baby loss, Divorce and break-up, Abuse and other trauma, People not accepting you, Reminder of lost loved ones, Health problems, etc.
- Demands/stress
- The expectation is that it’s the happiest time of the year.
- Managing expectations
- Money worries: Christmas can be very expensive. And worrying about money can have a significant impact on our mental health. Mental health difficulties can also make it harder to earn or manage money.
- People who are away: Christmas can be challenging if we can’t spend it as we would like to.
- Society and the outside world: Things moving on in the outside world and society’s expectations can make Christmas harder. Like: Pressure to enjoy yourself and look happy, Worrying about gifts, Upsetting or difficult news stories, and Feeling overlooked.
Tips for Reducing Christmas Anxiety
- Get plenty of sleep: With our busy lives, poor sleep is increasingly common, and lack of sleep can considerably affect anxiety levels. When we are asleep, our body recharges.
- Take frequent rest breaks: We have too much work and heavy work pressure on Christmas. Because of too much work, we do a lot of work without taking a break, which is why we get exhausted, which can be the reason for anxiety. Taking frequent rest breaks makes me feel calm.
- Be sensible about what you eat: Eating healthy may make you feel better physically and emotionally.
- Be mindful of what you drink: If you drink, try to alternate with soft drinks to keep hydrated. It’s essential to take care of yourself over Christmas and ensure you have copying techniques and strategies in place to help reduce anxiety.
- Find positive ways to remember loved ones.
- Enjoy your holidays moment by moment.
- Reduce your expectations: Don’t expect too much from others because expectations are the reason for unhappiness and make you feel anxious or stressed.
- Do what you like to do.
- Stay active: Exercise produces chemicals in the body that positively alter the mood. It can also help you feel a sense of achievement and increase self-esteem.
- Have a plan
- Be present in the moment.
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