A condition more serious than it seems...
"We can call it "family jet lag", "family overexertion" or "Christmas tension" , but, after all, it consists of a situation of social stress that has the same consequence as any other situation of psychological stress", explains ** María Isabel Peralta , Professor in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of the University of Granada.**
"On a physical level, we have muscle tension, headache, palpitations, tiredness, upset stomach, insomnia, skin rashes and exacerbation of diseases to which we are especially vulnerable", continues the expert, who also warns us that a 5% increase in deaths from myocardial infarction on these dates, according to data from the Spanish Foundation of Cardiology. "Christmas Day, on December 25, is the one that registers the most deaths for this cause throughout the year, followed by December 26 and January 1 ", they expose on her website.
This is the true face of Christmas much of the time
Not exactly to be taken lightly , then, and perhaps naming it will help us to take matters into our own hands when we are overwhelmed by the barrage of family commitments and what they entail, read: "And the child for when?"; "Well, at your age..."; " I don't care if you left , you get up at ten" and its multiple variations, including, of course, the traditional political discussions.
"On a psychological level, you can experience different emotions: sadness for the absent anxiety about not meet expectations that others have of us, gonna in situations that we perceive as unfair or disrespectful and stress in the face of an agenda full of activities and commitments that we did not reach", details Peralta. "To this we must add the excess food intake, as well as alcohol, with what that implies", she warns.
As we see, although the phenomenon has been coined in the United States, can be easily extended to Spain, where, in the opinion of the psychologist, one lives especially: "Proof of this is that is one of the questions included in the classic stress questionnaires ", she explains to us.
The tension will leave you exhausted
EXPECTATIONS VS REALITY
But why do dates that should be happy and peaceful tend to become a source of tension? The answer could be in the humorous definition of the NY Times: "Parties mean large family gatherings, cooking hours and a group of people who do not normally interact in person confined to one place and trying to act festive. It is the reality show version of your family ".
For a more professional argument, we return to Peralta: "It is important to emphasize that we are social beings, and Social support is one of the moderating factors of psychological stress more powerful. However, it can also become a stressful situation." The reasons? " Social relationships are complicated. Many times we pretend that people are as we want them to be and we do not internalize that people, really, "are as they are" , which generates us a lot discomfort . Simultaneously, we find ourselves, as we have said, in contexts of great binge eating, a considerable increase in alcohol intake, interactions with people with whom there is no affinity Y lack of rest, what makes us more vulnerable to be especially affected by interactions. Lastly, it is important to note that the system generates needs that we often cannot cover : it forces you to be happy, to be handsome, to buy luxurious things, we all have to have peace and love... and that, in most cases, is complicated".
It's not always this pretty
Perhaps it is precisely High expectations around Christmas , exacerbated by audiovisual culture and marketing , which makes the clash with reality so resounding. However, there are ways to mitigate its consequences , so that when we return to the routine we do not carry all that accumulated tension: "My main recommendation is to be able to spend at least a few days at home (if you have traveled to another city or country) before returning to work. Rest, try to recover healthy habits that were established in the daily life of people and do some pleasurable activity like taking a relaxing walk, watching a movie at the cinema… After all, disconnect before we have to reconnect " advises the teacher.
However, we must not give in to despair: after all, the fact that we repeat it every year and in practically the entire Western world means that we get some satisfaction (sometimes a lot) of these encounters. This is what Peralta affirms: "Despite the exposed complications, we must be aware that we are very lucky to be able to have a family with whom to share Christmas and a welfare state that, although it imposes impossible things on us, it provides us with a great quality of life".
Let's stay with the good. Merry Christmas!