For many of us, however, it is a time of anxiety as we worry about pleasing the family, feel pressure to improve our relationships, struggle with the financial stress of gift buying and the weight of meeting our expectations of having the ‘perfect’ Christmas.

It can easily become a driver for negative feelings.

It is, for this reason, we are being reminded to look after ourselves and each other.

Medical director of Healthshare and GP Dr Jill Gamberg said Christmas is a time of year when general practitioners and hospitals see an increase in certain types of health issues. 

Mental health, anxiety, grief, suicide, excessive drinking, drug use and serious injury cases all increase as we begin to feel the pressure mounting and try to let our hair down and relax. 

“A lot of immigrants struggle with Christmas and being away from family, as do the elderly who might not have family around,” Dr Gamberg said. 

“Grief is also a strong emotion for those who have lost a loved one through the year; with Christmas being a time for the family to be together, grief can become overwhelming.”

Dr Gamberg said the silly season doesn’t have to be stressful and negative. 

“If you are lonely you can plan to surround yourself with other people by volunteering at a soup kitchen or joining a community Christmas dinner,” she said. 

“You would also embrace the solitude and turn it into a really fun day for yourself; plan a marathon of your favourite movies, or do something you really love.

“When it comes to feelings of anxiety or mental health issues, it is best to contact your GP for advice. If you are dealing with mental health issues, it is important to know the trigger signs and to get help.

“Don’t wait until it is too late,” she said. 

You can reduce stress by taking time to focus on yourself each day: plan regular exercise; eat nutritious food; or set up a to-do list which will help you organise what you need to achieve. 

Accidents and injuries are also more likely to happen around the festive period with more people likely to drink and take recreational drugs. 

A spike is generally seen with injuries in the kitchen, as well as falls, sprains and broken bones. 

“GP’s see a lot of kitchen injuries like cuts which need to be stitched up,” Dr Gamberg said. 

“We also see an increase in injuries from young women with sprained ankles and breaks due to high heels, and falls with people failing to take precautions when doing jobs around the house.”

Other regular hospital presentations include serious road-related injuries, injuries from new toys and food poisoning.

“We’re not saying don’t drink, don’t have fun, don’t party, don’t let your hair down,” Dr Gamberg said. 

“It is about doing everything in moderation and being aware of the risks.”

It is important to remember that while Christmas is a chance to enjoy yourself – and you should – it is also a time to be mindful of yourself and others. 

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing an emotional crisis or needs help managing their health, do something and reach out. 

Helplines

If you need help over Christmas you can reach out to:

Lifeline – 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800

MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636

In an emergency call triple-0 (000)