For many people, the festive period is a colourful whirl of excitement and anticipation: a frenzy of gift-giving, sparkle and indulgence. But for others, it’s an overwhelming experience that causes stress and triggers anxiety.
From the financial strain of buying presents for family, friends and colleagues, to the emotional toll of trying to make sure every detail is perfect, Christmas can be anything but relaxing.
For some people, that pressure can become intolerable for our mental health, leading to a downward spiral of negativity and even depression.
There is a solution: clinical hypnotherapy. It is a tried-and-tested way to help people overcome anxiety that can emerge at Yuletide.
Christmas holidays and mental health


The festive period can be a time of stress for everyone but it is particularly difficult for anyone with an existing mental health condition.
Studies have shown around one-third of people experience a decline in their mental health at Christmas, an issue that can manifest itself in several ways.
Depression
Ironically, the cheeriness of the holiday season can make people feel the opposite: isolated, gloomy and unhappy.
They could even slip into depression, with feelings of intense sadness, hopelessness, low energy and generalised worthlessness.
Seasonal affective disorder
Also known as winter depression or winter blues, an estimated 33% of people in the UK suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Most cases emerge during December, January and February, while the NHS lists causes as “reduced hours of sunlight, a disrupted body clock, problems with melatonin and serotonin levels, and weather and temperatures”.
Social anxiety
For many of us, the Christmas period is fraught with mental health peril, thanks to the social whirl that comes with the holiday season.
From navigating crowded stores while Christmas shopping to hours-long family gatherings, many people feel anxious rather than full of festive spirit.
Financial stress
One aspect of the Christmas festivities that can fly under the radar is the cost of the holiday season.
The pressure to buy gifts for family and friends, as well as colleagues, especially for people with mental health problems can be overwhelming.
Couple that with the pressure for everything to be perfect and it’s no wonder so many of us have Christmas anxiety.
Managing stress during the festive period


There are several ways we can minimise feeling anxious over the Christmas period.
Limit family gatherings over the holiday season
While it’s lovely spending quality time with loved ones, those hours in a confined space with lots of people can be overwhelming.
Try to plan ahead for Christmas Day and Boxing Day so you can balance social interactions with self care, and ensure you get quiet time for yourself.
Don’t stress about Yuletide perfection
Every Christmas season is different, so try not to focus on comparing one year’s gifts with another. Enjoy spending time with your family members instead.
Stick to a Christmas season budget
Avoid financial Christmas anxiety by not spending too much money on gifts. Allocate an amount to a person and try to stick to it.
Remember to exercise at Christmas time
Taking a walk after a slap-up Christmas dinner will help your digestion but getting out and about regularly over the festive season will also help boost your mental health.
Try to eat sensibly over the festive season
It’s easy to overindulge at Christmas, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Make sure to practice self care to reduce the likelihood of feeling guilty at having a mince pie too many.
You can also call on the support of your friends and family members to make Christmas a less stressful time of the year.
Alternatively, you could come to me.
Hypnotherapy for Christmas anxiety


In our primitive past, we needed the flight-or-fight response to keep us safe from predators and other dangers.
Sadly, because the primitive mind is always on red alert, it sometimes overreacts to modern day stressful situations, including Christmas stress or generalised anxiety during the festive season.
My Solution Focused hypnotherapy can help address the issues that trigger the negative mental health response, while I will give you the tools you need to overcome your festive season stress.
How my sessions work
Before your hypnotherapy treatment begins, I will conduct a free, initial consultation via Zoom to get to know you and find out what you’re hoping to achieve via hypnosis.
During each session, I use relaxation techniques to make clients feel comfortable, and place them in a trance-like state.
It is a totally safe and natural state of mind that is different for everyone but often described as like daydreaming. You don’t lose control with this form of clinical hypnosis, to come out of the trance state you just open your eyes.
Once my patients feel safe and calm, I am able to introduce tools and suggestions into the unconscious mind that will help them manage Christmas stress.
I bring about lasting, positive change that enables them to feel calmer during social interactions and have a wonderful time at Christmas with close friends and family.
Book me as your clinical hypnotherapist
My hypnotherapy sessions for managing anxiety and depression over the festive season happen on Thursdays at Salus Wellness Clinics in Cambridge and on Fridays at Coach House Health Care, Trumpington, Cambridge.
Book yours here.
Contact me
For a chat about how hypnosis and hypnotherapy can prevent Christmas anxiety spoiling your holiday season, email me at sevarin@lifeflowhypnotherapy.co.uk, call 07359 188625, or fill in this contact form.