Christmas is, beyond a tradition or a religious celebration, a time that can be enjoyed by both believers and non-believers.
Everyone, in general, experiences them to a greater or lesser extent. This is because it has acquired a transversal character, where one of the most important things is being able to meet with loved ones.
However, precisely this fact that makes the Christmas festivities special leads some people to have difficulties emotionally managing these days. Therefore, below we will give several tips to enjoy them to the fullest
Tips to enjoy Christmas and get the most out of it
To experience Christmas to the fullest potential, follow these psychological tips.
1. Not everyone likes them, but don’t become a Gringe
It is one thing to have no special interest in the Christmas festivities, which is completely normal and legitimate, and another thing is actively get involved in ensuring that no one else enjoys them
This will not only make these dates cause you discomfort by constantly comparing your emotional state with that of others, but it will also make the people around you prefer to avoid you and your negative attitude and have a distant or even hostile attitude towards you. you, which will probably contribute to your becoming defensive and entering into a loop of constantly reaffirming your criticisms of Christmas.
Christmas is, for many Christians and non-Christians, an excuse to get together as a family. However, beyond being an occasion to talk, These types of meetings also have an emotional background when a family member has died relatively recently
In this sense, Christmas lunches and dinners can be an opportunity to remember those who are no longer here and thus, make them present in a certain way at the meeting. It is a very good way to manage those feelings of longing in the face of losses that, although they are no longer reflected in grief (because some time has passed since that death), they have left an important emotional mark that emerges in our consciousness from time to time. from time to time, for good and bad.
Put into words what we experienced with those people, share memories, or even do small rituals (for example, leaving an empty chair in memory of that person) is a good way to give continuity to the existence of that loved one and at the same time to support those who feel the loss the most, reinforcing that climate of affection and mutual support.
3. Simplify your Christmas shopping
It is no secret that currently the Christmas holidays are much more than a Christian holiday, and a dynamic of consumerism that has been reinforced over the last decades has formed around it. This can lead some people to feel that they are “forced” to buy without a real need to do so solely to avoid the discomfort of feeling that they have not made these days something “special” enough.
In this sense, it is advisable to go simple, on the one hand, and control the amount of money we should spend, on the other. Set a maximum spending limit during these dates in advance and plan your main purchases so that they do not exceed this figure, so that you do not have to constantly doubt what and how much to buy. Also, remember that symbolic gifts and purchases can also have great power when it comes to expressing love or affection. You don’t have to spend large sums of money on luxurious products, or buy many things.
But to achieve this, it is best that you do your Christmas shopping as soon as possible, because this way you will not find yourself in a situation in which you doubt at the last minute about what gifts to buy (these occasions encourage us to buy a lot or very expensively to compensate the lack of ideas about what the “ideal” gift is). And on the other hand, don’t worry about the idea of giving the perfect gift, the important thing is the intention.
4. Be careful with overeating and drinking!
Christmas dinners and meals have their own characteristics: They serve a lot of food, a lot of alcohol (it is a deep-rooted cultural dynamic) and it is also possible that several of them are made in a relatively short time Therefore, it is important to take some care in what you eat and drink. Remember that alcohol is still a drug that, although legal, damages the body if its consumption is abused.
If you are considering quitting drinking, do what you need to do in advance so that other drinks are available, and practice assertiveness when saying that you do not want or should not drink alcohol. Even if there is a certain social pressure, you won’t look bad for choosing other products.
5. Don’t give in to social pressure by participating in events that don’t do you good.
In line with the above, remember that Your health comes first and that you should not give in to the social pressure generated by Christmas customs and traditions: if you have an injury and should not move, it is appropriate that you prioritize this.
If you’re overcoming an addiction and think these dinners may lead you to relapse, it’s perfectly normal to put them aside until another year. If you are a person with delicate health and fear the risk of contagion, it is also reasonable that you prefer not to attend. Of course, remember that there are currently alternatives such as video calls that can facilitate small “virtual” meetings in real time.
You may be interested: “Conformity: why do we submit to group pressure?”
6. Don’t be obsessed with giving a perfect image
For many people, Christmas is the occasion when We see people important to us for the first time in a long time If this is your case, do not give in to the obsession with giving a perfect image; This would hinder the relationship, making fluid communication difficult due to fear of causing rejection.
Since Christmas provides situations in which emotional ties can be strengthened, take advantage of it and do not bet on the contrary by creating a barrier between you and other people.
Related article: “Narcissistic Personality Disorder: causes and symptoms”
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