Be kind to yourself this Christmas

Low mood at Christmas

We may not all be looking forward to Christmas. This has been a tough year for us all and we may find our mental health is not in great shape. That is okay. If you are feeling anxious or sad at Christmas it can be really hard when everyone around you is in the mood to celebrate. But you don’t have to ‘put on a brave face’ – it is fine to accept that this year Christmas you may not feel okay. Talk to someone about how you are feeling – having someone listen to you can be a real relief. Don’t worry about ‘spoiling Christmas’, most people would rather know that you are finding things difficult or feeling sad.

We all need to take time to recharge at Christmas, and it can be tempting to let our usual routines slip, and spend the day in pyjamas. We might stay up a little later, drink a few more Christmas cocktails than we should, and reach for the biscuit tine rather than the fruit bowl. Taking time out and having less focus on timekeeping and deadlines can be good, but if your mental health is poor it can be all too easy to slide into unhelpful habits.

Alcohol
Alcohol may temporarily melt away feelings of anxiety and depression, but alcohol is a depressant and so could in fact heighten those feelings and make your moods more volatile over time. Set yourself some guidelines to help you manage how much you drink over the festive season.

Food
Similarly, the food we eat can affect how we feel. Avoid sugary, highly processed foods and drinks as research has shown these are linked to low mood. If you start to feel sluggish over the Christmas period look at eating more fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy greens, and wholegrain rather than processed foods. Do some meal planning around Christmas to avoid just reaching for the chocolate or mince pies.

Routine
We would all be mindful to remember that routine can be beneficial for our wellbeing. On a practical level, if you are taking medication any change in routine increases the risk of you forgetting to take your medication which could be a real problem. But aside from the practical, keeping up with your daily routine as much as possible will help you control your stress levels – if there is something you have to do, it may keep popping into your head making you anxious. Sticking to a routine will help to manage these activities. The benefits of sleep are widely reported, but when you change your routine you may also be upsetting your sleep pattern which will impact on your ability to do things and on your mood. We may be waking early or unable to get to sleep when depressed but trying to keep to a regular sleeping pattern can make falling asleep, or getting back to sleep a bit easier.

Make plans wherever you can for Christmas to keep you on track, manage stressful events and help boost your mood. But don’t forget to build in some time to look after yourself.

Uncertainty
The pandemic has introduced a level of uncertainty that many of us have never experienced before, the future is still somewhat uncertain for the next few months. It is possible to follow a few guidelines about managing that uncertainty, but it is also good to remember that these strange and uncertain times will pass and things will improve.