Mental Health Expert on Coping with Christmas Stress & Anxiety

Christmas is what is called a known stressor and whilst it will be lots of fun, it can also be challenging. The festive period is for sure a celebration, though for many it is a complex time, but mental health expert Noel McDermott is here to reassure the nation that it’s okay to feel like this and it is to be expected. This is maybe the most important lesson to take on board about ensuring you get the best, not the worst of the festive season emotionally and to expect that it will be a challenge and plan accordingly. Don’t go into denial about how stressful it actually is, or you may lemming like go over the cliff.

Potential stressors around the festive season

• Financial – it’s a very expensive festival and we are still in a cost-of-living crisis. Is it time to get back to the spirit of Xmas? Maybe your family decide to reduce the presents and donate to a charity instead? Altruism helps enormously with feelings of connection, helps reduce stress levels by enhancing reward ‘feel good’ hormones or indeed donate your time instead of your money to be in service of those less well off.
• Intra and inter familial conflict – feuds don’t just stop at this time of year and others’ irritating habits don’t lessen, if anything, they are pretty much guaranteed to worsen. Adjust your expectations accordingly. Maybe you need to have clear time boundaries on visits for example, work out a plan with your siblings, partner etc for handing off the ‘Debbie downer’ in your social group, have a fire escape plan for getting out of harm’s way if things go south.
• Too much … of everything, food, drink, company, stimulation etc. Is it possible to plan down time? Can you plan breaks from the eating and drinking to give yourself time to re balance? 

Aston spoke to psychotherapist Noel McDermott.