health.
Regardless of whether your Christmas is shaping up to be hectic or relaxed, solitary or social, one thing is certain: each of us needs to look after our mental wellbeing this year. The pandemic touched us all in some way: losing loved ones, illness, financial problems, loneliness, the pressure of home schooling. As a consequence, say experts, we’re more vulnerable than ever to Christmas stress.
“Mental health has been significantly affected during the pandemic, with some suffering from anxiety and depression for the first time and others with a history of mental health issues relapsing,” says Somia Zaman, a psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). “I’m seeing people who are very anxious about the idea of returning to normality.”
Emma Cullinan, a psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), agrees: “It’s been an existential moment,” she says.