‘EAT WHAT T YOU LIKE – BUT BE SOCIABLE’
Tummy aches and hangovers aren’t Dr C’s biggest worries on 25 December – mental health is. Here’s how to look after yours
Everybody eats and drinks too much at Christmas – that will never change. But if I am able to encourage one person to be aware of a friend or family member who could be feeling lonely over the holidays, I will have achieved something.
CALL A FRIEND
Whether someone’s family lives in another country, or they work shifts so they don’t have time to get home and back, we probably all know somebody who may not have an obvious Christmas plan – so it’s worth checking what they’re up to. Research has shown that 200,000 elderly people will spend the holiday alone this year, and that is sadly just the tip of the iceberg.
I’ve been on my own on Christmas Day before – I was in Africa doing research one year, and when I phoned my parents on the morning, I got quite upset. That may sound silly – it’s just another day. However, there’s a forced pressure to have a big, happy, social Christmas, and that’s not always possible.
PROTECT YOURSELF
You’ll see headlines saying people eat 7,000 calories on Christmas Day alone, but one day of indulging isn’t a big deal
– and antacids should be able to provide a quick fix. But it’s also the season of loneliness and feeling low. And there are remedies for that, too.
SOCIALISE ONLINE
Follow comedian Sarah Millican (@SarahMillican75) – she tweets all day on Christmas Day using the hashtag #JoinIn, so anybody on their own doesn’t have to feel like they are. Last Christmas, the hashtag was used 250,000 times. She’s been doing it for nine years, and it genuinely does feel like a big conversation – like you’re spending the day with lots of people. It’s all about kindness, and is an example of social media being a good thing.
Offline, too, if there’s any day when people are friendlier than usual, it’s 25 December. Take a walk around the block, and I can almost guarantee people will say hello and “Happy Christmas” to you.
LEAVE THE HOUSE
While everywhere used to be shut, lots of places are now open during the festive holidays – so go down to your local pub, where people will be a little tipsy and chatty.
Nobody should be alone and sad at Christmas – but if you are, and you worry you’ll be down, build social interactions into your day.