Looking after your mental health at Christmas



Posted 01/12/2022





What is World Mental Health Day?



For a lot of us Christmas time can be stressful, lonely as well as a season which we dread and cannot wait to see the end of.


Christmas can be a testing time mentally, emotionally, physically and financially for many people. This year a great deal of us are feeling the fatigue and pressure brought on by the cost-of-living crisis and a lingering pandemic. It’s okay if you’re not feeling full of joy during the festive season. Christmas and New Year invites us to spend vast sums of money on gifts, food and sale items. Still, the new year often leaves us with a financial hangover that many people struggle to recover from.


Your financial and mental health are closely connected. If you don’t look after your money, it can be hard to manage your mental health and vice-versa.


The festive period could affect your mental health in other ways too.

For example:

  • Your mental health problem might make it hard for you to spend Christmas how you want.
  • Difficult and stressful experiences at Christmas could make your mental health worse.
  • Enjoying Christmas might also affect your mental health, for example if it triggers hypomania or mania.
  • It can be harder to access services that normally help you. Some of these services may be closed during the Christmas period.
  • Your experiences of last Christmas, during the coronavirus restrictions, may affect how you feel about this Christmas.
  • If you celebrate other religious festivals or holidays, you may feel overlooked if it feels like Christmas is given special attention.
  • New Year may also feel like a hard time, if it makes you look back at difficult memories or worry about anything in the coming year.


Why Christmas is a hard time?



Christmas can be difficult for anyone, at any point in their life. You might be struggling this year for the first time. Or you may have found Christmas difficult in the past, and you're dreading it again this year. You may also enjoy Christmas, but not be able to celebrate it how you'd like to. Or you might find some parts enjoyable, but other parts stressful.



People who aren't around



It can be particularly difficult when loved ones are not here or there have been changes in the family.

  • Estrangement, when you're not in contact with family members. Find support from the estrangement support charity Stand Alone.
  • Bereavement, whether that's recent or if some time has passed.
  • Fertility problems. Tommy's has lots of information about pregnancy and fertility.
  • Divorce and break-ups. Relationship charity Relate can provide help and support.
  • Health problems, for example if you or someone close to you is unwell, and this means you need to spend Christmas apart when you'd rather be together.


People or situations you want to avoid



  • Abuse and other trauma, whether it is from the past or happening now. This may include seeing people who remind you of difficult or traumatic experiences.
  • People not accepting you. For example if family members don't accept your LGBTIQ+ identity or understand your mental health problem, or if you encounter racism.
  • Difficult relationships, such as with a partner, family member or co-worker. Relate has support and advice which may help.
  • Dealing with other people's expectations or decisions, including family norms or cultural expectations.
  • Demands on your time, including pressure to socialise or see people, whether it's online or in person.
  • Difficulty setting boundaries and having less privacy. For example, having to spend time or share your plans with other people.
  • Listening and empathy, including feeling pressure to be available for others.
  • Worrying about gifts, such as what you buy, who you buy for and how they'll be received.


Society and the outside world



  • Pressure to enjoy yourself and look happy.
  • Media, adverts and representations of Christmas being upsetting and hard to avoid, and feeling different to your experience of Christmas.
  • Stigma and misconceptions about mental health from the people around you or in the media.
  • Feeling overlooked if festivals and holidays you celebrate, such as Eid, Diwali or Hanukkah, aren't given the same attention or recognition as Christmas.
  • Public spaces with more noise, lights, smells and long queues than usual, which can be overwhelming.
  • Food and alcohol. This may include pressure to eat and drink things you don't want to, or can't. Or comments about food, diet or lifestyle.
  • Impact on sleep and your routine.


Lonleiness



  • Not having people around, us can feel more difficult at Christmas when there are lots of images of families and friends together.
  • Even if you have a lot of people around, you can still feel lonely. This might be because you feel you have to hide your feelings or be a different person around some people.
  • If you are a carer or have a mental health or physical health problem, you might also feel like you cannot join in with all the celebrations.
  • If you have to spend Christmas in a care home or hospital, this can also feel lonely. Particularly if others around you have been able to leave for Christmas or have people visit.


If you are experiencing any of the above issues, feel alone or just want someone to talk too, your counsellor here at PCS can help. She is a listening ear when needed and will be working throughout the Christmas period.


The drop-in sessions on a Tuesday evening throughout December will be running and you can text or call anytime between 5pm till 8pm. Don’t feel alone, stressed, anxious or depressed this Christmas.


Jaime can give you tips on how to cope with stress and anxiety and can also point you in the direction of someone who may be able to help you when she cannot.

You can call or text Jaime on 07399809671.





Virtual Drop-in Clinic





If you are feeling a little down, worried about the current pandemic, or just looking to let off some steam; our counsellor is now providing virtual drop-in sessions every Tuesday.


Issues or concerns discussed with Jaime do not need to be work related; but could include home life, relationship, or health concerns.


We want you to be assured that the counsellor here at PCS is there to listen to you in a confidential, safe and secure space.


This service is completely confidential and free to all our Staff.



Your counsellor at PCS is also a qualified CBT practitioner as well as qualified ‘talking’ therapist. She will help and support you if you feel that you are suffering from something such as perimenopause.


Don’t suffer from any mental health issue in silence or alone, the more that we talk about it, the better you will feel.


Contact Jaime on 07399809671 or email on jaime@personal-careservices.co.uk


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