How to manage stress and your mental health at Christmas: cooking a festive dinner, shopping for gifts and going to party after party can take its toll ... here’s therapists’ advice on how to cope

Dec 18 , 2022

Socialising over Christmas might be fun, but it can also be stressful ... here’s how to manage the potential mental fall-out. Photos: Shutterstock

Christmas 2022

The holiday season is just around the corner and the pressure to socialise and maximise experiences can feel daunting, while excessive nights often lead to ‘social jet-lagging’

Mel Chim, counsellor and psychotherapist at Amindset in Hong Kong and founder of Colab+ suggests being mindful of your emotions and well-being and opening up to a trusted support network

Christmas, a time of giving, gathering and joy, right? Not, sadly, for everyone – a recent YouGov survey found that 26 per cent of those polled said Christmas made their mental health worse. So at a time when the masses are eating, drinking and merrymaking, what’s causing concern for so many?

“We are expected to be excited about Christmas, socialise more and have family dinners – and the complicated mission of getting the right gifts. It’s not surprising that Christmas can be a time of dread for some,” explains Mel Chim, counsellor and psychotherapist at Amindset in Hong Kong and founder of Colab+, a counselling and coaching service that provides science-based performance priming and executive wellness.

Christmas can be a challenging time for some.

Nicola Shannon, counsellor and therapist at Maple Tree, agrees. “Seeing all the holiday lights and decorations, hearing Christmas carols that tell us, ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ when inside, we feel anything but jolly, can be extremely difficult,” she says.

“The holiday season can be fraught with pressure to socialise and to maximise experiences, making the season of excess, at times, just a bit too excessive,” Chim says.

Mental health professionals remind us of the importance in looking after yourself during the holiday season.

“This often leads to social jet-lagging – that is, sleeping in later the day after and feeling guilty about it, which has an adverse impact on your mood. Bear in mind, we all like the familiar, but Christmas is a sudden scene-change – from the lights and decoration to the food we eat, the smells in the air, and the endless chorus of Christmas jingles,” she adds.

So where do you turn for help? There are three tiers to getting support, according to Chim.

We are expected to be excited about Christmas, socialise more and have family dinners – and the complicated mission of getting the right gifts

Mel Chim, counsellor and psychotherapist, Amindset