The Christmas season leaves many of us feeling out of our minds with joy and anxiety. Time stops; life becomes just a smudge of ink on the calendar to mark out a few days in the year: Christmas day, New Years Eve, and for many the ominous office party. 

But what do these dates amount to in real terms?

For many, we become perpetrators of excess, over-indulging in wine and food, inducing lethargy and boredom, and subsequently gorging ourselves on sugar, making us restless and bad-tempered. By which time it’s too late: the superfluous pounds have piled on, as well as the emotional blackmail. 

Of course, we resolve to adhere to better conduct in the New Year, although, not until the 2nd or 3rd of January, at least, as we’ll still be spoiling ourselves on New Year’s Day.

Boxing Day is always such an anti-climax. For all the obvious reasons: the presents are unwrapped and the tree is suddenly stripped of its ornaments and laid bare. But aside from the artifice of loss that this imagery deploys, the festive period also has profound implications for many people.

From February to November, we skirt radical change for the most part, or at least manage to take command of changeable circumstances, even if this means the allegorical burying of heads in the sand.

In that feel-good Christmas favourite, “The Sound of Music”, Maria says, “You have to look for your life”, and if this search is avoidable for the most part, The Christmas and New Year season is the exception. 

However slight or vast, for good or bad, we cannot help but take time to reflect, to argue (with others), to renegotiate (with others) with ourselves, to levy change. This change may manifest itself in a number of forms: a new job, a new relationship, no relationship (edit as applicable): but it is unavoidable.

In our day to day lives we have a tendency to surround ourselves with people and circumstances that validate our achievements and vindicate our shortcomings (in the workplace, socialising, even at home). But at Christmas time many of us find ourselves outside of our familiar (controlled) environments, and in a neutral (imposed) habitat, where anything goes. Your guard is down, and you find yourself putting a jigsaw puzzle together with your 30 year old sibling, or playing Tiddlywinks with your dad.

It’s not surprising that people often remark on an increased state of malaise at this time of year. Not least of all because December is generally the most unproductive month of the year - unless you count the time spent shopping, then the least productive would be January, when the aftermath of Christmas leaves cash flow at its lowest ebb all year. 

For most of us progress doesn’t happen until at least February, when the New Year’s resolutions become last year’s disappointments, and we can begin to think about the year ahead.

By Amanda Carey/MOLI