Sunnybank Obesity Centre

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Top Ten Christmas Survival Strategies

Christmas is typically one of the most stressful events of the year. The expense of buying gifts, the pressure of last minute shopping and the heightened expectations of family togetherness can all combine to undermine people’s best intentions. Furthermore, individuals tend to overload their bodies with rich food and stimulants – like alcohol and caffeine – which further increases stress. One in five people feels stressed during the festive season, according to a survey by the mental health charity Mind in 2000. Many people find it hard to cope with the demands of Christmas.

For some people Christmas can also make existing problems seem even bigger. The festive season emphasises for people how unhappy they are, the fact that they may not have a partner or many friends, while everyone else seems to be having fun with their friends and loved ones. Increased feelings of depression, anxiety and stress are common during what is meant to be the ‘festive season’.

For most of us Christmas is generally enjoyable but still a stressful experience. Yet you and your patients can reduce festive pressures if you just follow our “Top Ten Christmas Survival Strategies”.

1. Expect the intensity of holiday togetherness to breed some irritability, and take it in stride.

2. Give yourself and everyone else permission to feel less than perfect. Recognize that the holiday isn't "ruined" just because someone gets angry or upset; your family is simply doing what it's always done--acting like your family.

3. Recognize that no one can live up to our expectations for Christmas. Most of us carry around a heavily romanticized picture of the holiday and feel we must relentlessly convey warmth, brightness and good feeling. It's just not possible without creating unbearable tension.

4. Be forewarned that it is the nature of family rituals to try to stuff you back into old family roles; you don't have to be the fixer-upper or kid sister if you don't want to.

5. Be open, and respond positively to change in other family members.

6. Plan for the difficult moments. Propose a family outing for the Christmas or Boxing Day afternoon slump. Keep lots of board games or outdoor activities (like cricket or football) handy.

7. Enlist the help of others if you are the one in charge of organizing the holiday reunion. Well in advance, politely inform other family members that you want their help with meal preparation, setup or cleanup, and assign specific tasks to specific people. Everyone will enjoy the occasion more.

8. Don’t expect the holidays to serve as quality time for relationships. You can't repair all damage and pay all debts in a day or two. You can, however, use the holidays to make meaningful contact.

9. Keep your general health and wellbeing in check. Try to be moderate - it may be the season to be jolly, but too much food and alcohol is harmful, and drink driving is a real danger and illegal. If you can't (or don't want to) step off the social merry-go-round, at least try to eat and drink in moderation. Get enough sleep - plan for as many early nights as you can. Keep moving - keeping up your regular exercise routine can give you the fitness and stamina to make it through the demands of the festive season.

10. Use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or taking some time out for yourself, to cope with anxiety or tension.