Embrace the freedom to make Christmas whatever you want it to be, says Katie Piper

For those with a Christian faith like mine, you’ll recognise Christmas as a festival celebrating the birth of Christ. For others, it’s more of a cultural celebration: a time for joy, family and togetherness. And, for others, Christmas means nothing at all. For me, it’s a religious and cultural celebration melded into one!

Every year, a huge amount of time, energy, attention and money is directed towards this time of year, causing it to occupy an ever-extending chunk of the calendar. My sympathy goes out to those who find Christmas a seriously challenging time, not due to the religious sentiment of the period, but because of the difficult emotions it can stir for those who aren’t able to reflect on the festivities with rose-tinted nostalgia.

The festive season is triggering for so many of us for a vast array of reasons: past experiences, traumas and loss, having to spend time with family members who are overly critical or disrespectful, food indulgence, alcohol consumption, poor weather, (not to mention the expense), to name but a few! So often these factors are glossed over or ignored, while everyone is encouraged to be ‘happy’.

So, my message to you this month is this: fear not. Difficult feelings and internal hurt sparked by Christmas is much more common than you think – and there is plenty that you can do to help combat these tough emotions:

If you find Christmas a tricky time, I hope my column this month helps. And if you are one for festive cheer – enjoy it! Last year, so many of us went without seeing family and friends, so try and appreciate the togetherness that bit more this year.