Beat Your Christmas Anxiety

Perhaps this Christmas article can be summed up by the words of a famous Christmas song recorded by Judy Garland, for the 1944 MGM musical “Meet Me in St. Louis.” The opening lines to the song, written by American composers, Hugh Martin (1914-2011) and Ralph Blane (1914-1995) penetrates the heart: “Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on our troubles will be out of sight.”

Today is the 8th if December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and 17 days before Christmas. I am writing this as the 8th part to my series of articles with the title, “We are living in dangerous times.” This piece deals about enjoying Christmas and not worrying about the Holidays.

Christmas: A mixture of excitement and nervousness (Christmas Anxiety)

Christmas to singer Johnny Mathis: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Yes, it is. But to anxiety sufferers – the worriers – Christmas can be the most traumatic time of the year. Reason: The National Institute for Health and Care in the United Kingdom was the first to issue guidelines on this subject and defined it as “persistent fear or anxiety about one or more social or performance situations that is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the situation.” They called it Christmas Anxiety and the condition can start at an early “median age of onset” of 13. The sufferer may recover before adulthood but to some unfortunate ones, the anxiety may persist in adult life. There’s no gender predilection; in other words both men and women can be equally affected.

What triggers Christmas anxiety?

Christmas anxiety may be brought about by: Financial problems in the approaching Holidays; Unhappy memories (the condition can be present even in the presence of family members during reunions); Parties (some are afraid of being talked about if they did not attend so they just attend even though it’s uncomfortable for them); Toxic relatives (you will be in the same room with relatives you’ve tried to avoid the rest of the year); Life-changing events (separation, annulment of marriage, death of a loved one, chronic illness, retirement, getting removed from your job, etc.); Life’s monotony (same faces, same jokes, same stories, same food, same party venue, etc.); and Lowered immune system (partying can take you back to old habits: cigarettes, alcohol, unhealthy foods, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, and weather diseases, such as flu and cold).

Beating your Christmas anxiety

The key and instant solution is on you. Take control over the Holidays instead of letting them control you. Keep in mind and in your heart: Christmas is not about the value of gifts or giving gifts. It is about your “gift of giving and sharing.” After all, Christmas is about Christ in the manger – God’s Greatest Gift to all of us.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!