Christmas anxiety: the Grinch syndrome really exists

THE GRINCH SYNDROME – The Grinch is a disturbing character, born in 1957 from the imagination of the American writer and cartoonist Dr. Seuss. He is represented with a green face, bad red eyes and hairy features, as befits a bad guy who can hate Christmas in a serial way, starting with the joy and Christmas music, which is said to have the heart "of two sizes too small ”. In an attempt to destroy Christmas, the Grinch makes all the decorations and gifts disappear, but with this it fails to eliminate joy and therefore understands that Christmas has a great and important meaning: it then returns the stolen goods and its heart finally grows by three dimensions. Moral: even if the Grinch succeeds in accepting Christmas, we can do it too, and maybe get something good out of it.

BRAIN ISSUE – A recent study, carried out by a team from the University of Copenhagen and published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that there is an area of ​​the brain dedicated to pleasure, capable of lighting up over the Christmas period. For other subjects, however, the process does not occur, especially if there are negative experiences of the past related to Christmas. In practice, the same region of the brain that generates love and happiness with regard to the holidays can generate aversion and dislike of equal intensity. Therefore, if we feel we are brooding over an authentic Grinch within us we must not feel guilty, but try to overcome the sense of nervousness and melancholy that we experience during the holidays and live it in the best possible way. Here are some strategies for dealing with the situation.

VADEMECUM OF SURVIVAL
– Christmas is above all a holiday period: you do not go to work in many days and, with a few days off, we can create a break for us.
– Dinners and parties they are not an obligation: we say no with kind firmness to the snake relatives and we choose to meet only those who make us feel good, without fear of disappointing someone.
– Let's get organized in time in order to have the right company and interesting things to do
– Gifts are not essential: if we really need to shop, we can shop online, avoiding the crowding of the stores.
– No binges: let's remember though that at Christmas we also eat many things we love. Let's focus on those and forget the rest.
– We focus on the spirit – Even if we are not religious, in Christmas days we cut out a moment in which to dedicate ourselves to meditation, positive thoughts or some volunteer time: thinking of others will also make us feel less lonely and less melancholy.
– No space for envy – We look only to ourselves, without indulging in envy for those who have a super-family or are planning a dream vacation.
– Let us rest as much as possible – We use the Feast days to regain strength: the month of January is long and heavy.
– We do sport – Physical movement can be a real cure for mood and a pleasant and intelligent way to use leisure time. In addition it gives endorphins to gogò and burns the calories of aperitifs and panettone.
– And if that's not enough: we are always in time to break the piggy bank and give ourselves a nice trip in the heat, perhaps in a place where Christmas melts on a tropical beach and in front of a magnificent sea.