Post-Christmas Anxiety: What It Is And How To Deal With It
We tend to associate Christmas with a special period that, in some way, is disconnected from the rhythm and dynamics that we experience during the rest of the year. A few days that, even for many people who are not religious, mean conciliation, love, and in general, what predominates in calm contexts.
Given this, it is not surprising that it is relatively common to suffer anxiety problems during the days and weeks after the Christmas holidays. In this article we will explore its characteristics, its possible causes, and what to do about this problem.
Post-Christmas anxiety consists of an excess of anxiety facilitated by the transition from the Christmas holiday period to the return to routine. This rapid change from one situation to another is difficult to manage for some people, who have not managed to “fine-tune” their coping skills and prepare for a faster and more competitive pace of life.
In any case, post-Christmas anxiety It is not in itself a psychopathological alteration, and for this reason it does not appear in diagnostic manuals. However, it can be a form of discomfort serious enough to require professional help.
How to recognize this problem?
Post-Christmas anxiety It is expressed through the typical symptoms of anxiety when it reaches levels that are excessively high for the person. (taking into account that a certain degree of anxiety is not problematic and in fact is a natural phenomenon in any healthy human being). The most common are the following:
These symptoms come and go, occurring relatively frequently depending on the situations to which the person is exposed and the memories and thoughts that cross their mind.
Causes of this phenomenon
These are some of the factors that cause the appearance of post-Christmas anxiety.
1. Return to the demands of work
After Christmas already There is no contagious tendency to be understanding and conciliatory with others.; This is especially noticeable in the workplace.
2. Feelings of guilt about expenses
After Christmas, the psychological effects of the marketing campaigns carried out on these dates disappear and arrives the objective reality of the money spent on purchases and meals. Becoming aware of this can be a hard emotional blow.
3. Problems making ends meet
To the previous element we must add the problems that many people experience in getting through the month with the money available in the bank account, that is, practical efforts to save.
4. Discomfort due to changes in eating habits
After a few days of prolonged abundant meals, discomfort may arise that ranges from physical to emotional (poor diet favors inflammatory processes, and these, the problems associated with anxiety and depression). Furthermore, psychologically too It can be difficult to go from family meals that last several hours to a situation where you have half an hour to prepare something during the work day..
To do?
Post-Christmas anxiety does not usually escalate to psychological disorders, and in most cases it fades on its own in a matter of a few weeks. However, Sometimes it is convenient to have psychotherapeutic support to quickly adapt to the new situation and develop necessary emotion management skills. On the other hand, if the discomfort lasts too long, this may indicate that there is a type of psychological alteration that does need to be addressed in a psychologist’s consultation before it becomes chronic.
Do you want to have professional psychological assistance?
If you are looking for psychotherapy services to overcome or better deal with any type of emotional discomfort that affects you in your daily life, contact us. In Psychomaster We serve people of all ages and offer therapy for individuals, families and couples. The sessions can be in person at our center located in Madrid, or online via video call.
