Happy Christmas (War is Over)- Or is it?
Christmas is usually the time we bring family together to celebrate and share the love. Why is it that when the festive season is supposed to be the most magical and loving period can instead evolve into the most stressful, and cause more harm than good to our relationships?
For a 24 – 48 hour period, we hope to either see or speak to those nearest and dearest to us as we house-hop from one family to the other or even attempt to bring everyone together in the one house... But even the best intentions can go pear shaped….
Research shows that the festive season is within the top 6 most stressful times of the year, with some even calling it out as THE most stressful time of the year. The perfect meal, presents, decorations, atmosphere, music, weather, guests/visitors, pictures, posts…. where does it stop? The pressure to have a perfect ‘Hollywood movie’ Christmas not only contributes to financial stress but also to our mental health stress.
With our stress at an increased level and interactions that might feel more of an obligation than enjoyment, we spend anywhere from hours to weeks with our family or close friends during the festive season and quite often anything from petty disagreements to violent episodes can occur- “What do you mean, my Christmas Pudding isn’t as good as Auntie Linda’s?’
'Quite often anything from petty disagreements to violent episodes can occur- “What do you mean, my Christmas Pudding isn’t as good as Auntie Linda’s?'
Is it any wonder?
Consider these recent statistics- the average Australian child spends only 2.6 hours per weekday and 5.4 hours per weekend day with their immediate family, which decreases dramatically as they get older. Contact with extended family is even lower and varies with only 5 – 28% of people having daily contact.
Being in close proximity, for longer than we are used to impacts our independence and our ability to do what we want our
own way. Most people have created their own traditions or simply have a preferred way that they like to spend Xmas. These traditions or choices are based on our underlying beliefs and values and when others don’t have the same approach, this questions and challenges our core beliefs and values.
When the Christmas ‘Trifecta’ of seasonal stress, challenged beliefs and one too many Mint Bailey’s are combined, what started with the best intentions can end with a Xmas to remember for all of the wrong reasons.
Humans don’t really like being wrong or even the idea of potentially being wrong. If someone else is telling us that the way they celebrate Xmas is the best way to do it, our subconscious mind can interpret this to mean that our way is the wrong way. This feeling can then trigger an emotional reaction and change of mindset. It might result in a disagreement or causing us to shutdown or block out any potential enjoyment or fun.
Then add alcohol into the mix. When the Christmas ‘Trifecta’ of seasonal stress, challenged beliefs and one too many Mint Bailey’s are combined, what started with the best intentions can end with a Xmas to remember for all of the wrong reasons.
So how do we keep our emotions in check and make the time with our nearest and dearest an enjoyable one?
Here are 5 tips to keeping this Christmas merry:
While it can feel like we don’t have a choice where we spend our Xmas day, we always have a choice. We make that choice based on our priorities and the possible consequences. At Xmas, that choice is usually based on how other people will feel by us simply being present. Spend more time this Xmas being really present rather than just giving presents.
Did you enjoy this article? Read more from Amy here..
What Should Businesses Be Doing Post-Pandemic?
There is a lot of talk throughout every Industry of what the new ‘normal’ will look like and what businesses should be doing in order to make it through the other end.
It’s easy to say “We need to be bold”, “We need to be adaptable and resilient”. But where do we start?
Halloween: Why Do Australians Want to Celebrate A Tradition That Isn't Ours?
With Halloween just around the corner, many of us are bracing for an influx of our worst fears all in the one night, including clowns! But does the Halloween celebration belong in Australia? Why are so many Australian’s now celebrating Halloween and what is the underlying emotional driver?
Subscribe Here
This is a spam free zone!
You'll simply receive my monthly EI newsletter-
and that's it.