Christmas Blues: What It Is and How to Deal with It?

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on 20 December 2023 and updated on 15 December 2025.

What is meant by “Christmas Blues”? It is a concept that describes the state of sadness or depression that some people experience during the holiday season. Let’s explore together what it really is and how to cope with this form of melancholy linked to Christmas.

Decorating the tree and the house, gathering with loved ones, sharing meals, exchanging gifts, and toasting the new year: for many, Christmas is the most joyful time of the year. However, for those going through a period of suffering or personal difficulty, the holidays can become a sensitive time, giving rise to what is known as the Christmas Blues.

This condition, which shares some similarities with seasonal affective disorder, is limited to the Christmas period and usually resolves spontaneously once the holidays are over.

What is Christmas Blues?

The society in which we live associates the holiday season with happiness, close-knit families, love, and sharing. However, not all people feel conformed to this image, so they may manifest states of anxiety and distress, frustration, anger, a sense of sadness and loneliness, and an overlapping of negative thoughts.

Christmas lights, songs and atmosphere can’t help: people suffering from Christmas Blues will feel melancholy and inadequate, and could develop a more severe form of distress.

What are the causes of Christmas depression?

Christmas Blues can occur for several reasons, contributing to a sense of sadness and uneasiness during the holiday season.

• The media often present an idealized image of a perfect Christmas, creating unrealistic expectations. Comparison with the lives of others or with our past can generate dissatisfaction and sadness.
• The holidays lead to increased stress due to extra activities, such as searching for the perfect gift or organizing dinners with friends and relatives. These additional tasks can generate anxiety and financial worry.
• The lack of family or friends during the holidays can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and contribute to sadness. People without social support may feel particularly isolated during this period.
• The Christmas season prompts reflection on the past year. If set goals are not met, feelings of frustration, anger and depression may arise.

It is important to recognize these factors and adopt strategies to manage stress, such as planning relaxing activities, moderating expectations, and seeking social support.

Some tips for dealing with the Christmas Blues

• Accept and welcome sadness, anxiety and frustration. Denying these feelings results in an inability to cope and resolve them.
• Take care of yourself. Carve out time to do what you love, give yourself a gift, and maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet. Exercise has been proven to improve mood.
• Free yourself from negative thoughts by focusing on the present, reminding yourself that you cannot change the past or control the future. Savor and be aware of each moment as Mindfulness teaches us, and drop the critical and judgmental attitude toward you.
• Set boundaries and indulge your needs. This can be a good time to train yourself to say "no" and to learn to delegate.
• Don't isolate yourself. During this time, work commitments are reduced, you have more time to think, and you often tend to lock yourself in the house, perhaps watching TV filled with images of joy and happiness that risk making you feel even worse. Better to get out of the house to do something you enjoy, a session at the gym, go to the cinema or theater, visit an exhibition, or even a simple walk.
• Reduce stress about gifts. If you can, better plan well in advance for purchases and set the budget.
• Consider volunteering. Helping others has been proven to generate positive feelings and sensations. You can help others and scale back your frustration, anger, sadness.

If you are going through a period of emotional or psychological difficulty, do not hesitate to turn to UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital psychology specialists for qualified support.