It’s that time of the year again when our social media feeds are full of pictures of social gatherings pictures and family and friends celebrating festivals with zest. In some cases, scrolling through your phone might trigger social anxiety which, during the festive season, is also termed as festive anxiety.
Social anxiety during festivals is real
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You might feel like there is pressure to be happy and appear happy. However, you can feel alone even in a crowd and there is an element of anxiety and sadness that you may feel.
You might not be comfortable meeting so many people all at once, you might feel overwhelmed, there might be a burden to be participative and joyous all the time. So, to get a better understanding, we got in touch with Kamna Chhibber, Head of Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, Delhi.
What is festive anxiety?
Dr Chibber explains how people who aren’t very extroverted or go out much can feel immense amounts of stress during this season. She says, “Winter blues is a very common phenomenon wherein people do feel very low and depressed. It is not uncommon, and you should not feel that stress, anxiety or depression during this time is ‘uncommon’ or ‘uncalled for’.”
Accept the way you feel and be unapologetic about it
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We all handle our emotions in our own way. Dr Chhibber suggestes, “The best thing to do is to acknowledge that we are feeling a certain way and accept it. Once you do that, you will feel a bit calmer and the stress of having to behave a certain way or be a certain way will no longer weigh down on you.”
Don’t be hard on yourself
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You don’t have to force yourself to behave a certain way because you think the people around you want you to or expect it of you. You need to be honest with yourself.
Dr Chhibber advises, “Don’t agree to things you don’t want to do. It does not matter if everyone is going out and if everyone is meeting up—if you don’t feel like it, it is okay to take some time to yourself. Set boundaries and ensure that they are being respected. You don’t have to feel the fear of missing out either.”
Devote time to yourself
Learn to live in the moment and not to this ideal of always being happy and feeling happy. Happy is a state of being which flows and just learns to feel and accept it.
Often during these times, under the festive lights and celebrations, there are financial issues, family conflicts, lack of sleep and multi-tasking—all which can take a toll on a person’s mental health. So, it is okay to take some time for yourself, acknowledge how you are feeling, accept it and take one thing at a time.
Lead Image Credit: Dear Zindagi, Red Chillies Entertainment
