'Take time to relax': A psychologists' guide to coping with the pressure to have a 'perfect' Christmas

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Christmas time is one for spending with family, exchanging gifts and enjoying food and drink with friends. But each of those traditions can have a difficult side – as much as it’s a time of joy and laughter, Christmas can be mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially draining.

The cold and dark nights can leave people feeling lonely, the expectation of giving presents can leave people struggling for money during a cost-of-living crisis, and the pressure from social media to have the ‘perfect Christmas’ can leave people feeling stressed and inadequate.

It’s normal to find Christmas hard. So, with help of Dr Helen Wall and other mental health experts, we’ve gathered a list of useful tips and advice on coping with the pressures of this time of year. READ MORE: 'My little girl doesn't want presents this Christmas' READ MORE: 'Shannon's organs gave new life to others - but the people meant to save her life failed' “We see an awful lot of people with mental health deterioration in the week before Christmas,” explains Dr Helen Wall, a Bolton-based GP and the clinical director of population health for NHS Greater Manchester. “One of the biggest reasons I’ve seen this week is because of the pressure we put on ourselves to have the perfect Christmas. “That’s often fuelled by social media, people on Facebook sharing their apparently ‘wonderful life’ – it’s not always founded in substance.

They are probably down at their GP surgery talking to a doctor about how they’re worrying about their life as well.” Rest is vital, says Dr Zainib Khan, Trainee Psychiatrist at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.