The festive season definitely brings with it feelings of heightened anxiety and there's nothing wrong with admitting that, plus you're not a scrooge for checking in with your wellbeing so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Winter is by far my favourite season, bringing cosy nights in front of the fire, bright days of low Winter sunlight and gorgeous smells of pine, spice and brandy. Christmas is, however, definitely a period of social pressure for me with feelings of obligation, as I'm sure it is for many others. Whether you're country bound from the city or about to host a whole bunch of distant relatives for a few days, I thought i'd prepare a breakdown of survival tips to make the next few weeks a little brighter and easier on the feels:

1) Turn down social invitations if that's what you need to do
Congratulations on making it through the first part of December. You've made it through three weeks of office parties, festive nights out followed by the treacherous night bus home and you've consumed more mulled wine than even Santa keeps in his grotto. The urge to socialise is strong; you've got five friendship groups you want to catch up with in the four days you're home and suddenly people you haven't seen since school are messaging you on facebook asking if you'll be down the pub on Christmas Eve. Slow down right there and hit pause - stop overbooking yourself and if you already have, don't feel guilty if on the day you find yourself saying no. Make a call or send that text - if you'd rather stay at home then don't force yourself. It's Christmas, put your feet up! Organise a drink in January, you inevitably live in the same city anyway, there shouldn't be any extra pressure to hang out just because you're both in your hometown for a couple of days.

2) Plan in some quiet alone time
I don't know about you but after 48 hours with the fam I start feeling a little claustrophobic. The Christmas break needn't all be spent propped up in front of the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special your Mum is insisting you watch together or getting frustrated at your Uncle's apparent lack of understandable charades. Plan at least one day to yourself and a few hours in each, if possible. Whether that means barricading yourself in your bedroom with a sock on the door (or does that mean something else...) or taking a book down to your local coffee shop on the 27th, make sure you're getting plenty of me-time away from the hustle and bustle of all the turkeys gobble-gobble-gobbling away at your house. Even giving yourself ten minutes each morning and evening to meditate will make all the difference to the rest of your day.

3) Get out and walk
After getting lashed on Christmas Eve, stuffing your face all day Christmas Day and demolishing the leftovers on Boxing Day, Christmas is glutenous enough without forgetting to move. Make sure you leave the house! Encourage the family to take a Wintery walk together, find some nature and breathe in the fresh air. Even if you do end up in the pub afterwards, at least you've reminded your muscles how they work.

4) There's no obligation to be a merry little elf 24/7
Don't feel pressured to be a ray of sunshine every single day for a week just because there's a bit of extra glitter around and colourful lights at every turn. Mental illness doesn’t press pause just because it’s Christmas and there's nothing I find more infuriating than someone telling me to "cheer up" because “it's Christmas”. If you're feeling a bit blue, you're blue. If you need to stay in bed, you need to stay in bed. We all need to draw the curtains and shut out the world at times and Christmas is no different. It's as important as ever to check in with yourself from time to time. If the black dog happens to pay you a visit over the festive period, remember all the coping mechanisms and strategies you'd employ on any normal day. Take your time, tell a family member, and cosy up with a hot water bottle. These feelings will pass, as they always do, I promise.

6) Watch your alcohol intake
I have a long history of alcohol acting as a Depressant with a capital D in my past, although it took me a long time to move from denial and into acceptance. I got a little cocky the other night and drank one mulled wine too many while getting stuck into a pub quiz with friends. I woke up yesterday feeling a 3 out of 10, and couldn't shake the low mood and excessive tiredness for the rest of the day. Even if you're usually okay with alcohol, remember it IS a depressant after all, and the likelihood is too much of it will leave your emotional state a little worse for wear. A bit of Baileys of an evening is nothing to write home about but if you know alcohol can potentially be a problem for you, remember to check in with your limits, drink PLENTY of water between drinks and don't let Great Aunt Doris spike your juice.

Above all else, remember to enjoy it! Put your feet up, have a laugh and take a couple of days away from your busy life. Just don't get carried away and forget to check in with yourself either.

Something i've missed or got your own strategy to share? I'd love to add a string to my bow so leave a comment