How to conquer (AND ENJOY) Christmas

Can Christmas ever be stress-free? As we prepare to share the celebration with friends and family again, how do we cope with those traditional pressures alongside new ones for 2022, asks Jennifer Morgan?

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Ah Christmas, a time of joy and celebration... and did we say stress? Too often we become weighed down with the present buying, decorating, socializing, and the pressure of family time to really enjoy the day.

During the pandemic, we had the added worry of limited numbers, Covid, and - for many - sadness that Christmas was changed forever with the loss of loved ones. With the pandemic over, we can be together again, but how can Christmas 2022 be different?

'It's no secret that Christmas can be demanding," says positive psychologist and founder of Beyond the Dawn Digital, Dawn Baxter (dawnbaxtercoaching.com), 'Studies show that 26 percent of people feel that Christmas makes their own mental health worse and 81 percent of people find Christmas stressful. These emotions, combined with the seemingly never-ending to-do list, can make the "holiday" an endurance test.'

Clare Flaxen, a cognitive behavioral therapist and director at CF Mindset (clareflaxen.com), says to start by defining what feels pressured to you. 'We're all different - one person's festive spirit will be another's Christmas nightmare,' she says. 'Is it gift buying? Trying to plan for the perfect day? All the food that needs to be bought, cooked, and eaten? Or the multitude of activities you're trying to cram in to make it all special? Then break it down. Ask yourself if you really don't want to be doing them, but feel you should? Are you holding an image of what the ideal Christmas should look like and that's piling pressure on you? Or are you simply trying to do too many things and you just don't have the time or resources for them? It's not only financial resources, but also time, energy, and mental load.'