Here’s how you get a merry Christmas, despite the pandemic

Of: TT

Published: December 24, 2020 at 6:30 a.m.

Finally Christmas Eve. But it will not be as usual. Far from.

Here are some solid tips on how to stay spirited during the holiday celebrations despite Covid-19, including eye contact, smells, and digital solutions.

Traditions are at the center during Christmas. But with the covid-19 pandemic, many of them will temporarily break this time.

We may not be able to go to Grandma and Grandpa, or meet the grandchildren, as usual, and the big annual cousin gathering may need to be postponed.

– There are many who have to celebrate alone, perhaps more than ever. But the good news now is that I’m not alone in being alone, says Per Johnsson, a psychologist and senior lecturer at Lund University.

– Gives a different group feeling. Now we are not the only ones alone, thinking about it can probably make it a little easier anyway. It doesn’t cure loneliness, but at least it’s a slightly different community.

And before it gets too depressing, here are some tips that could make Christmas a little easier, despite the pandemic:

Eye contact

– One of the most important ingredients in feeling your best is talking to the people you like. Whose voice when you hear it on the phone brings joy. I think that part is very important, says Per Johnsson.

– If you have the opportunity to see each other through Zoom or another program, it is very good. And then think more about looking into each other’s eyes. Eye contact is what we miss the most now when we can’t meet. Then they should try to make an effort, look into each other’s eyes and wish each other a Merry Christmas. That is a good strategy.

Take advantage of technology

– It is very difficult for us humans, Christmas has a lot of tradition. So it will be a very strange break for us. But on the other hand, we have digital solutions that we could use. Where we can still be together even at a distance, says Margareta Bohlin, associate professor of psychology at the University of Gothenburg.

– It is not new that some cannot be at Christmas. But now we have completely different options, like running the computer and letting it run. So that grandpa can hold out as long as he wants. To move the computer from room to room, so they can still be together in some way.

Invite more

– Go the extra mile with digital. Maybe we can even celebrate Christmas with more people than we usually do. You can, for example, invite friends, who can look back digitally for a while, or people who are also often alone at Christmas, says Margareta Bohlin.

– Then, of course, we cannot replace physical presence. But this is what we have in this situation.

smells

– I would like to emphasize the importance of smells, because the sense of smell has a small connection with the amygdala where our fear system is, says Per Johnsson.

– It is important that we produce smells that evoke good memories. It can be gingerbread or whatever, it doesn’t really matter. The smell should evoke the opposite of fear, that is, comfort.

Movement

– One important thing to counteract hopelessness is to go for a walk. It does something for the body to activate us physiologically, as a psychologist I must also emphasize this, says Per Johnsson.

– But we have to try a little harder. You can meet outside and talk or go for a walk within a reasonable distance. You have to try a little harder and adapt and it will work. This has been the case in all crises, that when we are in the midst of it, we see no comfort anywhere. But there is always a turning point.

Published: December 24, 2020 at 6:30 a.m.