Christmas spoils the mood

All content is checked by medical journalists.

Because of "Oh you happy" - if you ask people about their mood at Christmas time, they are in a significantly worse mood and more dissatisfied with their life than at other times of the year. This is not only the case in Germany, but throughout Europe, shows a study by the University of Göttingen.

Study director Michael Mutz attributes the lack of quality of life and emotional well-being felt by many to the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle and the increasing focus on material consumption. "Many feel stressed by the pressure to buy gifts in good time and to have to fulfill the social obligations associated with the holidays," says the sociologist. In addition, financial worries are often perceived as an additional burden, especially at this time.

Christians are happier

But there are exceptions: "Christians, especially those who classify themselves as very religious, have a more positive attitude in the run-up to Christmas and are more satisfied with their lives," says Mutz. Apparently, Christians are more relaxed about the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle than non-believers because they view the pre-Christmas period less materialistically and in a more consumer-oriented way - this reduces stress.

The study was based on two Europe-wide surveys carried out as part of the “European Social Survey”. More than 2000 participants were surveyed in the week before Christmas and on the Christmas days themselves, and more than 42,000 at other times of the year. The participants came from Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Great Britain, among others.

30 percent more heart attacks

How stressful the Christmas season really is is proven by the number of hospitalizations due to a heart attack. If there is an annual average of 30 patients per day in Germany, the number on the festive days increases by a full third to 40 patients, according to an analysis by the German salaried health insurance company (DAK) in 2013.

Reason enough this year, right at the start of the Christmas hustle and bustle, to consider how much stress you actually want and have to put up with - and whether less can be more at Christmas too. (cf)

Sources:

Michael Mutz: Christmas and Subjective, Springer 2015, Doi: 10.1007 / s11482-015-9441-8.

Heart attack on Christmas Eve: DAK health. Press release from December 12th, 2013

Tags:  therapies desire to have children interview