Published on
Updated
Reading 2 mins.
in collaboration with
Sabrina Philippe (Psychologist)
Medical validation:
December 22, 2022
While the holiday season is often associated with happy times, it can also be a source of stress. How to explain this mental fatigue? And above all, how best to manage this very special period? Advice from Sabrina Philippe, psychologist.
The projection of a “wonderful Christmas” is a source of frustration
While Christmas is traditionally a family moment filled with conviviality and sharing, the New Year’s Eve meal can also revive painful memories (mourning, separation, serious accident of a loved one, etc.) and past tensions.
“The end-of-year celebrations are not always easy, they bring back the child that we were, the childhood that we had… and they also revive the “void” left by missing persons“, explains Sabrina Philippe.
Another source of stress and mental fatigue: the self-pressure that we put on ourselves, which generates toxic automatic thoughts (Will Christmas be a success? Or will I be criticized by my mother-in-law? Is my spouse going to be appreciated at his fair value?).
“OThere is almost an obligation to perform on these parties, with rarely the expected results. The projection of a wonderful Christmas and an extraordinary New Year is rarely achieved. It is this “pressure to have a good holiday” that is difficult to manage, especially emotionally.”
Finally, the end of the year implies “a personal balance sheet that can stir“.
Arrive without expectations
So many reasons that should push us to adopt certain good reflexes to spend a peaceful Christmas.
“It’s simple: just put less expectation on it. It’s often the child in us who wants it to be wonderful. But in reality, we had a whole year to experience good times that will not necessarily be connected to this period..”
In summary, it is therefore advisable to arrive without any expectation and to be delighted to find your loved ones (in particular the people you will really enjoy meeting), while savoring all the moments… without anticipating those more delicate.
Get help from loved ones
Last but not least: when the Christmas meal takes place at home, asking for help from others – especially your spouse – is essential. And for good reason: according to an Ifop survey, two out of three (heterosexual) women in a couple say they do more than their partner in organizing Christmas meals and parties.
63% of them declare that they are the ones who took care of the meal on the last New Year’s Eve, 76% declare that they are the ones who manage the decoration of the table, and 57% the decoration of the tree.
A significant mental load, a source of tension and disputes, which could be alleviated by simple adjustments by the spouse concerned.