Christmas Blues?

By Gina Large

“Christmas comes but once a year” And many might add “Thank Goodness!”

The advice from the sixteenth century was to “dance, sing and make good cheer” but these days, after months of preparation and anticipation, the season to be jolly may bring stress, marital discord and depression in its wake. In one survey nearly half of the respondents owned up to secretly dreading the festive season, and more than a quarter would prefer to go to sleep on 23 December and not wake until 2 January!.

     The darker days of winter don’t help. As evenings draw in and natural daylight all but disappears, Seasonal Affected Disorder, aptly abbreviated to SAD, can make us feel down, because lack of sunshine adversely affects the biochemistry in our brains. Women are three times more likely to be affected than men, and, of course, it’s generally the mums and housewives who are under the greatest pressure in the long build-up to Christmas.

     The hype now begins in October, and this commercialisation of Christmas is stress laden, as we are urged to spend, spend, spend. Crowds, queues, panic buying, parking chaos, no wonder the festive dream becomes a nightmare. Armed with plastic and pins, it is so easy to splash out far more than we intended, especially on the latest must-have hi-tech toys for the kids. Buy now but pay later, often coming down to earth with a great sense of anti-climax. Mounting bills are one of the prime festive flashpoints for couples. Divorce lawyers cite: “money worries, being forced to spend more time together, increased drinking, illicit text messaging and the temptation to stray at office parties” as all contributing to the post-Christmas peak in splits. Then there’s the in-laws to contend with!

  So what can we do to help ease us through to New Year?

(1)     Agree a reasonable budget beforehand and stick to it. Be assertive when you need to say ‘no’.

(2)     Do go easy on the sweet stuff. Too much plays havoc with blood sugar, causing irritability and fatigue. Moderate alcohol too, remembering that after the initial fillip, it’s a depressant. Raw fruits and vegetables, and plenty of water will help to redress the balance, and go nuts for nourishment, brazils, walnuts, and almonds all have mood-enhancing ingredients.

(3)     If you must spend time with people you don't get on with, plan ahead to keep this to a level you can reasonably stomach.

(4)     Too much sitting is a definite downer especially after a heavy meal. So stretch your legs!. A brisk walk in the fresh air is the perfect way to burn off those Christmas calories. Or if there’s a garden to tidy, you’ve an excellent excuse for both exercise and solitude.

(5)     Try talking for a change – televisions and computers can be switched off.

(6)     Amidst all the melee, remember to take some time out. Spoil yourself, if only in a nice hot scented bath, or better still treat yourself to an aromatherapy massage. Close your eyes and let all your Xmas worries just melt away!.

Gina Large LLB. (hons.) is a hypnotherapist registered with the British Institute of Hypnotherapy. She holds both a Diploma and Master Certificate in Hypnotherapy, and is also a Certified NLP, EFT, Life Coaching & Stress Management Practitioner.