Mental wellbeing and the festive season

As the festivities, festivals and celebrations start to ramp up, for many it is a time of joy and togetherness, but it can also bring both personal and work pressures. Therefore, in our final blog of 2024, we are providing some tips and resources to keep your mental health optimised.

But first, some statistics:

84% find Christmas or other festive periods to be stressful or triggering. [1]
77% think their mental health worsens around the Christmas and the festive period. [2]
It is estimated that over 1 million people in the UK work on Christmas Day. [3]

Loneliness

Loneliness may seem a strange place to start this blog, but it is something that is often overlooked as we busy ourselves with lists of things to do and achieve before the year ends. Not just that, we can also be so focused on our own tasks and celebrations, that we forget that those around us at work and in our community, may not be celebrating the same, or any, festivals; they may find the season triggering or have no one to enjoy it with.

Did you know:

It was estimated that 4% (around 2.7 million) people in the UK spend Christmas Day alone.
73% experience loneliness and isolation even when surrounded by people during Christmas and festive periods. [4]

After my mum died, we (family and friends) surrounded my dad with love and support, but he still felt lonely. Partly this was because after everyone went home, he was left alone, but even when people were with him, he still felt disconnected from them.

The first Christmas after mum died, some of the staff put on a carol concert during lunch, as I walked towards the canteen and heard the rise and fall of their voices singing in harmony, I was felled by the overwhelming emotion and had to return to my desk, away from my colleagues and the festivities, as I found the memories the singing invoked, too painful.

Loneliness is not just about the proximity of other people, but can also be about traditions, home, culture, language, memories and support networks.

It is important to check in with your family, friends, neighbours, community and colleagues to see how they are, not just during the cold winter months and times of celebration, but all year round. If possible, invite them to join you for gatherings, meals, events, or ask them about their traditions and festivals so you can find common ground to bond over. At the very least, please let them know that you are there for them and that they are not alone.

If you would like to find out more about how you, and your organisation, can support those around you, please read our blogs:

How to support others to optimise their mental wellbeing – part 1

How to support others to optimise their mental wellbeing – part 2

Relationships

You would assume, given the section above, that if you have a family (of whatever size and/or make up) that it would be a solution to loneliness. However, relationships – be they at home or work – can also bring stress and anxiety, particularly at this time of year.

Many sectors experience increased demands and deadlines, resulting in even longer hours and therefore time away from home, and away from the things that can help our mental wellbeing, e.g., exercise, support networks, nutrition etc. (please see the sections below). In our research, we found that 33% of construction workers were anxious about family or relationship problems. One respondent told us:

“I feel really bad that I seem to be spending so little time at home recently, either because I have to work late – again – to finish a job or if I’m working more Saturdays than I’d like. We’ve got young kids, and my wife finds it tough when I’m late and not there to take the pressure off her.”

In the same survey, 37% said they feel low relatively frequently because of their business partners/colleagues.

Did you know: 75% feel pressure to enjoy or put on a pretence during Christmas or the festive period. [5]

This statistic brings me nicely onto the next point. When we add the festive season into the mix, you could find yourself spending extended periods with people that you may not have seen for a long time, or who you may not normally opt to spend hours with, or even people that can trigger your mental health conditions.

Food and Drink

As we all know only too well, December is synonymous with overindulging – food, drink, late nights, spending etc. It is easy to get caught up in the moment – but if it is not right for you, then please have the courage to say no.

Whilst we know that nutrition can support mental wellbeing, the opposite is also true, particularly when it starts to affect our physical health too.

In addition, if you are hosting, stressors include organising, preparing, ensuring you have everything, concerns over shop closures if you need additional items, and of course the inevitable clearing up afterwards.

Discover useful tips on how you can improve your nutrition:

How to optimise your mental wellbeing through nutrition

Sleep

As we have seen, all of the above activities can cause stress, which in turn can impact on our sleep.

In our second blog in the series (link below), we discovered the effect that sleep deprivation can have in the short term (feeling tired, frustrated, lacking energy etc.) and longer term (memory loss, increased blood pressure etc.). We also learnt some great tips on how to improve sleep, with good sleep hygiene being key.

If you are finding it hard to get a good night’s sleep, then please read the blog:

How to optimise your mental wellbeing through sleep

Solutions

In addition to the tips we have already covered, there are other, practical ways, to help to optimise your mental wellbeing, not just during the festive/winter season, but all year round.

1. Being Active

Being active supports both your mental and physical health, helping to lift your mood, improve sleep, boost self-esteem etc., as well as prevent future illnesses, e.g., diabetes, heart disease etc. Being active does not need to take a lot of time, require a lot of physical effort and/or cost money, although it can be all three if you would like. It can be as simple as going for a walk during your lunch hour, participating in online exercise classes, joining sports clubs, or going to the gym. It is about finding an activity that you enjoy and which you can fit into your life.

Read our blog to discover tips for being active:

How to optimise your mental wellbeing through being active

2. Relaxation

Although the festive season can be busy, it is important to remember to allocate time for relaxation as it can help to reduce stress, improve recovery and help to build resilience. Different techniques will result in specific physiological reactions that will help you to optimise your mental wellbeing. But, not all of them will be appropriate, achievable, affordable or effective for everyone, so experiment and find what works best for you.

Discover different activities that you might not have thought about previously:

How to optimise your mental wellbeing through relaxation

3. Workplace culture and work-life balance

On average, we spend around one-third of our lives at work. It is, therefore, vital that employers provide a supportive workplace culture which prioritises a continuous and comprehensive solution, so that no-one reaches crisis point and mental health awareness becomes everyone’s issue.

Find out how organisations can build a happy, healthy, productive workplace culture:

How to optimise mental wellbeing through workplace culture

At Mates in Mind, our vision is ‘positive mental health in and through work’, this is because the two are irrevocably intertwined, with us taking work pressures home and personal concerns to work, for example. This is why in our blog on work-life balance, Sam Downie (Managing Director, Mates in Mind) shares her experiences and techniques that work for her:

How to optimise your mental wellbeing through work-life balance

4. Other

My colleague, Gaby Taylor, who is one of our Support Managers, has kindly provided the following tips for looking after yourself during December/January:

Routine is Key: Having a routine is key to allowing us to feel in control during the chaos that ensues during the festive season. Try not to let the dark mornings and evenings affect your daily schedule! Keep your morning and nighttime routine the same and make the most of the sun when you can. You may also want to consider taking Vitamin D supplements to boost your levels during the winter months (please consult your GP before taking any supplements).
Volunteer in the community: All through the year, but particularly during the festive season, there are many charity and community projects you’ll be able to get involved with. Whether it be food banks or gift donations, these projects can help to combat the feelings of isolation as they provide an opportunity to meet new people during what can be an incredibly isolating time.
Avoid making unhealthy comparisons: Social media is an incredible invention, but it’s not without its downfalls. It is very easy for us to look at the lives that people portray on social media, particularly during the festive season, and feel that we aren’t doing enough. Whether it be not buying enough presents or not being able to afford more expensive ones, or not being the best chefs, or having the nicest table settings. Whatever it is, social media fuels feelings of inadequacy, jealousy and shame that can be avoided through putting down our phones and living in the moment. Unhealthy comparisons also come in to play when we think of food and drink. Christmas can be a really difficult time for anyone who is battling an eating disorder and the biggest tip that we can give you is to reach out to those around you or to visit: Beat Eating Disorders.
Make time for Yourself: Make sure to practice self-care through engaging in festive activities you enjoy. During Christmas, we often try to make it memorable for those around us, but what do we need? Making time to do your favourite festive activities is key to boosting your wellbeing during Christmas time. This could be listening to music, baking, watching a festive film, or making decorations. You should also spend time doing non-festive things that bring you joy too, such as having a nice bubble bath or playing football; just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean you have to be festive if you don’t want to be.
Reach out to loved ones: If you’re feeling lonely or worried about someone close to you, reach out. Ask to spend time with one another, go grab a coffee or visit a garden centre.
Say “no”: Don’t feel like you have to do anything you don’t want to. Boundaries are so important all year round, but the festive period is often a time where we let these slip or where people feel that they can disregard them. Your loved ones and family members know you and love you – they will understand.
Don’t feel guilty: Whether you do choose to participate in Christmas festivities or not, either way don’t feel guilty if you’re enjoying yourself. If you have recently lost a family member or a friend, grief can and will come in waves, but don’t feel guilty for experiencing joy as it doesn’t take away from how much you miss them.

Finally, please remember to be inclusive of everyone around you at this time of year. Maybe we should change the song title “All I need at Christmas, is you”, to “All I need this season, is you.”

If this post has been triggering for you – please click on the link below to find a list of support services:

Support Services

Next steps

In this blog we have looked at how to optimise your mental wellbeing, with a particular focus on the festive season. In 2025, our blog series will focus more on the role of employers in building supportive, inclusive and safe workplaces.   

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