The importance of knowing how to manage anxiety during Christmas

Anxiety is a phenomenon as natural and human as any of the emotions that we usually consider "positive" or pleasant. After all, in many contexts it is useful to adapt to the circumstances that surround us, and it is For this reason, the vast majority of people experience it with relative frequency in our day to day. day.

However, it is true that in certain contexts we can involuntarily "learn" to manage the anxiety in a problematic way, which in turn exposes us to more situations that produce a high level of anxiety. In short, all feelings and emotions are linked to how we relate to the environment and to others and are prone to giving rise to psychological problems; and in this, anxiety is no exception.

That is why some people feel particularly unwell at Christmas because of anxiety: This is a time of the year in which many things change, and among them, the type of situations for which we must prepare ourselves.

• Related article: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

Why can more anxiety problems arise at Christmas?

These are some of the aspects of Christmas that can favor the appearance of anxiety problems.

1. Grief and depressive symptoms associated with anxiety

Among families for whom Christmas is a significant event, these dates are more likely to act as a catalyst for emotional upset over the loss of loved ones (with whom this kind of celebrations used to be shared). In other words, the mourning for the death or emigration of a relative gains more strength at Christmas.

In this sense, we must not forget that anxiety and low mood, although they seem to work through contrary logics, overlap with a lot frequency, and even mutually reinforce each other: it is not for nothing that a large percentage of the patients that psychologists see present a picture anxious-depressive. In general, emotional discomfort calls for other forms of emotional discomfort, so if a person does not feel comfortable with his life and he feels sad, it is likely that sooner rather than later he will notice that his day-to-day life overwhelms him, and the anxiety.

2. The perception of end of cycle and temporary bottleneck

Christmas is not experienced as an event disconnected from everything that surrounds it, and in this sense it should be remembered that for many people, goes hand in hand with the concept "end of the year": There are only a few days difference between one celebration and the other.

That is why there are many who understand that Christmas is the end of a life cycle, and are pushed to make an assessment of this period, the last 12 months. In these circumstances it is easy for uncomfortable thoughts, feelings of guilt and even self-esteem problems to appear for not having been able to do everything that was desired.

This leads some people to try to do as much as possible in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, with the consequent psychological exhaustion. In addition, if they manage to achieve certain objectives in this period, they do not experience it as an achievement but rather as an avoidance of an unpleasant feeling.

• You may be interested in: "The 8 types of mourning and their characteristics"

3. The pressure to buy and the need to balance the books

Christmas is also a moment linked to its facet as a phenomenon of consumption. On one hand, there's the pressure to buy gifts, spend money on fancy dinners, or even travel; on the other, the need not to have financial problems. It is not easy to find a balance in the face of this, which makes us more vulnerable to anxiety problems.

4. Family tensions flare

Not everyone has a family free of tensions and conflicts. For this reason, family gatherings can become a source of anxiety; even if arguments don't break out, the fear that they might break out may still be there.