How To Keep Stress And Anxiety At Bay During The Festive Season!

It's not unusual to feel lonely and anxious during the festive season. Ravina M Sachdev and Kalwyna Rathod get experts to share tips that will help you cope.

- Ravina M Sachdev and Kalwyna Rathod

In India, festivals dot the calendar year, with a variety of them concentrated in the months from August to December. The festive season brings joy to the routine of life and also serves as a stress buster with elaborate meals, new clothes, meeting family members, celebrating with loved ones, and, most importantly, getting paid holidays. Not for everyone, though. Ahmedabad-based counselling psychologist Parita Sharma states, "Celebrating with friends and colleagues, exchanging gifts, arranging extravagant feasts, buying expensive clothes and jewellery, and feeling loved and included among friends and family are luxuries not everyone enjoys. For those who are away from their loved ones for any reason, be it personal, educational or professional, festivals often get lonely and gloomy." Indeed, for quite a few of us, the festive season can bring with it major sources of anxiety and sadness, especially if we're alone during the festive time. But, asks Mumbai-based Suchi Choudhary, life coach and co-founder of Lyflights, a life coaching centre, "Does that mean you should miss the opportunity to celebrate? Absolutely not! A celebration is more of a mental state; if you decide to live in a celebratory mood, you can do just that. Moreover, festivals are part of our culture, to bring changes in our life that are different from our normal routine."

Here are ways you can keep stress and anxiety at bay and enjoy the festive season all by yourself.

FOCUS ON THE RIGHT THINGS

"Don't overthink what is not in your control," Parita advises. "Do what needs to be done in the given moment. Think of what you can do, and do it, instead of feeling bad about what couldn't be. For example, you might not have been able to celebrate in your hometown due to work pressures, but you can always share a phone call or video call."