How to Deal with Festive Season Blues
Created By RISC | 8 months ago
Last modified date : 8 months ago
New Year is over. We’ve spent time with friends or favorite activities. It seems a happy time but it’s also a time of suffering and anxiety from both external and internal factors.
Let's look at the complex emotions that arise during the holidays as well as how to deal with them.
A study found that we experience up to 27 different emotions. Most categories are relevant and can change with our experiences, such as anxiety, fear, terror, disgust, calmness, aesthetic appreciation, happiness, and pleasure. Some emotions, such as desire and romantic love, as well as nostalgia, can be clearly seen.
Holidays provide an excellent opportunity to spend time with family, friends, loved ones, and even pets. This helps build relationships and friendships, creating a sense of belonging and reducing loneliness. It also has a positive effect on other people's behavior and emotions, such as joy, happiness, and excitement. All these factors will have an impact on our thoughts and well-being in the short and long term.
Some festivals associated with traditions and values, such as Songkran or religious holidays, can bring calm or respect, boosting our mental health.
Happiness comes from social gatherings and from giving presents, missing someone, and going out to places that provide entertainment with lights, decorations, music, or traveling to enjoy nature.
We trigger memories of the atmosphere or music we shared with someone, the places such as a favorite restaurant we dined at. We reflect on what happened in the past and what we desire. But this factor can cause nostalgic, loneliness, and depression. These feelings can be triggered by a variety of factors, including being away from home, a heavy workload, food issues, or loss.
Some people may be experiencing anxiety because of losing someone they care about. Celebrations that involve planning and high expectations can also make some people feel pressured to conform to society's expectations and compare themselves to others, particularly in an online society where everyone shares their best moments, such as seeing other people go on vacation with their families, eat out, or socialize. This can lead to negative emotions that make people feel inferior and lower their self-esteem.
To cope with negative emotions and feelings, it’s important to prioritize self-care and value by allowing yourself the freedom to pursue personal activities or interests, such as getting enough sleep and relaxing in free time. You can connect with loved ones in person or over the phone to strengthen relationships and positive interactions. You can turn down invitations that put you under pressure. These are just a few suggestions to help you deal with your emotions, from negative to positive.
An interesting finding from this study is that the boundaries between different types of emotions are not strictly defined, but rather mixed and connected because they are an essential part of human nature. Recognizing emotions begins with an understanding of their complexity to make the holiday experience more meaningful and significant for both us and those around us.
Story by Sittha Preedapirat, Senior Researcher, Brain Computer Interface, Happiness Science Hub, RISC
References:
Cowen, A. S., & Keltner, D. (2017). Self-report captures 27 distinct categories of emotion bridged by continuous gradients. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(38).
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1702247114
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/celebrations-holidays-psychological-wellbeing-paoula-saoud/
https://centerstone.org/our-resources/health-wellness/how-holiday-celebrations-can-bring-you-happiness/
https://elle.in/how-to-cope-with-festive-blues-this-season/