There's a reason you don't feel 'Christmassy' this year - it's not good
We're but a month away from Christmas Day now, guys!
There are some tried and tested things many of us enjoy doing in the run-up to the big day. Whether it's perusing your local Christmas market, knocking back some mulled wine at your annual work do, rattling through all your favourite holiday flicks, or simply getting your present-buying sorted early doors.
Many of us will no doubt remember the sheer elation of waking up at an ungodly hour on Christmas morning, only to unwrap all your gifts in a feverish frenzy before seeing all your loved ones and partaking in all the other antics each family has made part of their yearly tradition.
But, while much of the world is seemingly hit with the festive feeling like a ton of bricks, it's clear not everyone feels the Christmas spirit as much as others.
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And, according to experts, there's actually a reason why so many of us don't feel 'Christmassy' anymore.
"Feeling Christmassy is not a simple emotion but a combination," Patricia Riddell, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Reading’s school of psychology, told Metro.co.uk.
According to Riddell, the problem is all down to anticipation, which can inevitably lead to disappointment.
"Our brain does not assess how happy we are but the difference between how happy we expected to be and how happy we actually are," she adds, noting that by over-anticipating Christmas, we raise our expectations of happiness and therefore feel less happy than we expected.
"When we make sense of events, we lose the emotional intensity," the expert continued.
Meanwhile, Krystine Batcho, a psychology professor at Le Moyne College, who invented the Nostalgia Inventory Test, a measure for how deeply people feel nostalgic, explained: "Based on our childhood experiences, Christmas has acquired unrealistic expectations of mythical ideas.
"As adults, we know we can never again enjoy those wondrous feelings and beliefs… It isn’t surprising, then, that many people are disappointed when they don’t experience the fulfilment of the promise of Christmas."
She noted that, often, doing something that seemed 'so amazing' when we were a child is 'a bit disappointing' when we do it as an adult.
"The gingerbread house we make now is nowhere near as amazing as the one we remember. Our memories are often rosier than reality," Batcho added as an example.
"Also, as adults, we’re often feeling stressed as we try to meet all the demands of our regular lives and the additional obligations of doing all the holiday activities. What was once a joyful experience can now be felt as burdensome."
Batcho reckons that we, unfortunately, 'can't ever' have the same Christmas feelings we had as children.
"We now know too much," she said. "We know the difference between fantasy and reality and can only hope to feel similar sensations."
But, that's not to say we can't make our own Christmas magic - even well into adulthood!
Batcho noted that while we make not feel identical sensations, we can choose feel new ones, resolving: "Although they’re not exactly identical, they can in some ways be richer.
"As we are now the ones 'making Christmas’ for others – especially children.'"
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Topics: Christmas, Explained, Life, Mental Health, Holiday, Advice
Rhiannon Ingle