6 tips to enjoy Christmas

Christmas is, beyond a tradition or a religious celebration, dates that can be enjoyed by both believers and non-believers.

Everyone, in general, lives them to a greater or lesser extent. This is because it has acquired a transversal character, where one of the most important things is to be able to meet with loved ones.

However, precisely this fact that makes the Christmas holidays special, leads some people to find it difficult to emotionally manage these days. Therefore, below we will give several tips to enjoy them to the fullest.

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Tips to enjoy Christmas and take advantage of it

To experience Christmas to its full potential, follow these psychological tips.

1. Not everyone likes them, but don't become a Gringe

It is one thing to have no special interest in the Christmas festivities, something completely normal and legitimate, and another thing to do. get actively involved in not being enjoyed by anyone else.

This will not only cause these dates to cause you discomfort when comparing your emotional state with that of others constantly, but also, it will make the people around you prefer to avoid you and your negative attitude and have a distant or even hostile attitude towards you, Which will likely help you get defensive and get into a loop of constantly reaffirming your criticisms of Christmas.

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2. Remember those who are no longer

Christmas is, for many Christian and non-Christian people, an excuse to get together as a family. However, beyond being an occasion for conversation, these kinds of meetings also have an emotional background when a relative has died relatively recently.

In this sense, Christmas lunches and dinners can be an opportunity to remember those who are no longer there and thus, to make them somehow present at the meeting. It is a very good way to manage those feelings of longing for losses that, although they are no longer reflected in a duel (because a time since that death), they have left an important emotional imprint that emerges in our consciousness from time to time, for good and for bad.

Put into words what we live with these people, share memories, or even do small rituals (for example, leaving an empty chair in memory of that person) is a good way to continue existence of that loved one and at the same time to shelter those who most feel that loss, reinforcing that climate of affection and support mutual.

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3. Simplify before Christmas shopping

It is no secret that these days the Christmas holidays are much more than a Christian holiday, and around it a dynamic of consumerism has been formed reinforced throughout the last decades. This it can lead some people to feel that they are "obliged" to buy without any real need to do soJust to avoid the discomfort of feeling that these days have not made something "special" enough.

In this sense, it is advisable to go simple, on the one hand, and control the amount of money we should spend, on the other. Set in advance a maximum expenditure during these dates and plan your main purchases so that you do not exceed this number, so that you do not have to constantly wonder about what and how much purchase. Also, remember that gifts and purchases of a symbolic nature can also have great force when it comes to expressing love or affection. You do not have to spend large sums of money on luxurious products, or buy a lot of things.

But to achieve this, it is best to do your Christmas shopping as soon as possible, because in this way you will not find yourself in a situation in which you hesitate to last time about what gifts to buy (these occasions cause us to buy too much or too expensive to compensate for the lack of ideas about what the gift is "ideal"). And on the other hand, do not worry about the idea of ​​making the perfect gift, the important thing is the intention.

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4. Beware of overeating and drinking!

Christmas dinners and lunches have their own characteristics: They serve a lot of food, a lot of alcohol (it is a deeply rooted cultural dynamic) and it is also possible that several of them will be made in a relatively short time. Therefore, it is important to dedicate some care to what you eat and drink. Remember that alcohol is still a drug that, although legal, damages the body if it is abused.

If you are considering stopping drinking, make arrangements in advance to make other beverages available, and practice assertiveness when saying that you don't want or shouldn't drink alcohol. Although there is a certain social pressure, you will not look bad for opting for other products.

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5. Don't give in to social pressure by participating in events that don't do you good

In line with the above, remember that Your health comes first And that you should not give in to the social pressure generated by Christmas customs and traditions: if you have an injury and should not move, it is appropriate that you prioritize this.

If you are overcoming an addiction and you think these dinners can lead to relapse, it is perfectly normal to put them aside for another year. If you are a person with delicate health and fear the risk of contagion, it is also reasonable that you prefer not to attend. Of course, remember that there are currently alternatives such as video calls that can lead to small “virtual” meetings in real time.

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6. Don't get obsessed with giving a perfect image

For many people, Christmas is the time when we see people important to us for the first time in a long time. If this is your case, do not give in to the obsession to give a perfect image; This would hinder the relationship, making fluid communication difficult for fear of causing rejection.

Since Christmas favors situations in which you can strengthen emotional ties, take advantage of it and do not bet on the contrary by creating a barrier between you and other people.

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Looking for psychological support services?

If you want to have psychotherapeutic assistance with all the guarantees, get in touch with our team of professionals.

In Psychological awakenings We serve people of all ages and offer individualized psychotherapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and mediation services. You can find us in our psychology centers located in Madrid, Leganés, Móstoles and Getafe, or you can also opt for the online therapy modality.