A Merry Christmas?

The holiday season can be a time of joy, but it can also bring challenges.

There could be financial stress with pressure to buy the "perfect" gifts for family and friends, or extra costs for decorations or special meals. This can put a strain on finances.

We might feel lonely if we cannot be with family, especially when living away from home, or have lost loved ones recently. Christmas can amplify grief, especially if loved ones have died around this time of the year, or the traditions we had can be difficult.

Family gatherings can generate conflict as to whose in-laws are seen first, or possibly unresolved conflict. People tend to overindulge at Christmas, not only financially, but with food and drink. There could be guilt from eating too much, also from drinking increased amounts of alcohol. Christmas can be tiring if there is a lot of travelling to visit family and friends.

Social media can be unhealthy, seeing others photos of a "joyous" Christmas can bring on feelings of jealousy and comparing your Christmas to theirs. There is an expectation that you should feel happy "because it's Christmas", but others might not know what you are experiencing.

Now Christmas is upon us maybe set some goals for next year to reduce some of these worries.

Set a realistic budget for gifts and expenses; maybe gift some homemade presents or thoughtful gestures instead of expensive presents; maybe a secret Santa, even for your family, to limit the number of gifts you buy or setting a budget per person.

If you are away from home arrange video calls; send presents earlier in the year so they can open theirs on Christmas Day. Connecting with others can improve our well-being so you might volunteer to help out during the festive period. Maybe share how you are feeling and how Christmas impacts you if you are still grieving a loved one.

Organise the family visits earlier in the year and set boundaries, that could be 4 hours with the in-laws and then 4 hours with your family. Avoid any topics of conversation that will lead to a negative situation. With overindulging you could set a goal to have enough food for the Christmas break, and set a limit to how much alcohol you will consume. Make sure you plan some days of rest!

Focus on what genuinely brings you joy, rather than the social media photo where, in reality, not many are happy after the photo is taken. Reduce the time on social media to avoid any unhealthy comparisons.

Wherever you may be and what ever your Christmas will look like, I hope the festive season and the New Year will be peaceful and prosperous for you.