Seasonally Saturated
December 2025
Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Christmas, New Year or any other occasions during December, it can evoke a spectrum of emotions. Some can be heartwarming, and others stomach curdling and painful. A few of my clients have been feeling the festive pressure to say yes to celebrating with family, friends or colleagues when all they want to do is stay in and just be. To them and thousands of other people, you’re not alone. With respect to my incredibly brave clients, I will not share their names or details of our conversations, but use this space to share some of the facts and collective themes that have come from therapy sessions, past and present. Through future monthly blogs, I hope Hummingbirds & Marigolds can be a supportive community that provides the science, psychoeducation as well as a sanctuary to dispel solitude.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a form of depression that can occur around the time the clocks fall back during October. This results in a disruption of the circadian rhythm (our internal clock), and coupled with the amount of sunlight available during the winter months can even cause hormone imbalance (with less serotonin and more melatonin being secretion). Symptoms can include extreme fatigue, feeling overwhelmed or hopeless, issues with staying asleep, even the ability to concentrate, feeling irritable and craving carbs. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, in the UK, out of a sample of 100 people, roughly 3 are likely to experience significant depressive symptoms over the winter period.
Winter Stress is not as prolonged as SAD, although can still come with a host of challenges. During the festive season, mental health decline appears to be on the up, with reports of 30 to 40% of people for the most part being able to manage with the shorter day light hours, bar the festive frenzy. They can experience anxiety, tiredness and the pressure to make it a ‘special time’ and does not feel like a Hallmark movie! The American Psychological Association’s November 2024 poll titled ‘Stress, politics and the holidays’ reported that 46% of people were concerned about being able to finance the festive fun! Another 48% reported feeling a greater sense of loss or grief for missing loved ones and sadness that they are not around to celebrate. Some feel tested by the idea of spending time with family or friends and having to swerve at any point to avoid polarising discussions (and not surprisingly, it isn’t just about the politics). Some clients report experiencing Bridget Jones moments when they feel interrogated by ‘well meaning’ people asking about their love lives or having their step count scrutinised, or prospects of a new job or exam results and university choices questioned like they were on an episode of BBC Two’s Mastermind. The list of course is endless. Cognitively exhaustion, mental battery dangerously veering into the red and socially saturated.
Paradoxically, the winter period can also be a time when those that are single, live alone, with no close friends, family nearby or are estranged, may have a heightened sense of loneliness. The expectation that we should be societally connecting in our local/ wider communities may not even be possible to begin with, especially when work or demands of life can restrict our interactions with others. Moreover, the strain can also be due to our engagement with social media (Emma Bishop, in conjunction with King’s College, 2020). Clients have described how they feel that overnight there’s been a social media blowup with all those posts of friends gathering for a catch up, families laughing in their matching Christmas jumpers and maybe the highlight reels of the year as the countdown to the New Year begins. The holiday myth that this should be a ‘happy time’ and free of present envy, can also lead to an increased feeling of dread, stress, anxiety and overwhelm. Whilst some may battle to maintain traditions, others may feel the desire to shake things up and create new memories, all of which can cause conflict and become exhausting to navigate. Evolutionary, our bodies would use the winter to rest for longer, but today, we strive to keep up with it all, and sometimes we just need to slowdown, even stop and listen to our body. Whilst I am not suggesting you hide away in a cave (unless, that’s your thing), it can be worth taking even micro moments to check in to see how you’re feeling. Taking a few deep breaths so that you don’t end up in full filter, 4K effect.
Sadly, one size does not fit all, but be kind and curious with yourself before you reply all with a smiley face emoji on that group chat. It’s okay to say yes, no or maybe. Just find that happy balance that keeps you feel grounded.
Whatever December has in store for you a few things to consider:
Be realistic about how much time you have for yourself/loved ones – know your comfort zone. Time out moments are not just for young children, they’re helpful for the grownups too.
If you are alone and want to join a community event, how about volunteering in person at your local animal rescue centre, food, shelter or even calling and checking in on someone who is stuck at home this winter? – you’ll have to apply soon so there’s time for those DBS checks!
Can you set some time for taking a walk outdoors? If not, maybe make time for some full body stretching or even add singing/humming into your festivities? Out of tune singing almost seems mandatory!
Is it possible to add some extra vitamins into your diet such as apples, oranges, even some dark chocolate (the darker the better) to boost your immune system, gut and brain?
If you need an excuse to relax, maybe watch a movie, read a book or something else that allows you to take a break from the routine. Even taking a break from the laptop/phone screen.
Talk to someone that can listen before you feel the full force of festive burnout, share how you’re feeling, whether it’s a loved one, or contact one of the Crisis support lines I’ve shared at the bottom of the website, but don’t feel alone.
Whatever the plans are over December, I want to thank you for making time to read this first Hummingbirds & Marigolds post. You are always welcome to share topics you would like to learn more about here and on my Instagram page, book a session in the New Year. Just drop me a line or few! I look forward to hearing from you and offering more topics of interest in 2026. Warm wishes to each and every one of you, Seetal.
References
Royal College of Psychiatrists (2025) – Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
American Psychological Association (2024) Stress, politics and the holidays
https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/stress-in-america/2024/postelection-survey
Emma Bishop (2020) – Social Media and Mental Health
https://blogs.kcl.ac.uk/editlab/2020/02/10/social-media-and-mental-health/
