Loneliness at Christmas - then it can be harmful

Christmas is most often associated with fellowship and some stress for everything to catch up with.

Therefore, the holiday can be extra noticeable for people who feel lonely, a feeling that can also be triggered by social media.

- Many people use social media to deal with difficult emotions and feel some type of contact.

It's a bit of a double-edged sword.

You can feel this contact with other people, but it can also arouse jealousy, says Siri Helle.

She believes that the best thing is to shut down her social media.

- If you feel that it blocks the feeling of loneliness, try shutting down social media and instead call or text someone you are close to.

There are different types of loneliness

According to Bengt Brülde, professor of practical philosophy, the pandemic has had a major impact on loneliness.

- It is very clear that there has been an increasing prevalence in society, he says.

However, he believes that it is important to distinguish between different types of loneliness.

Objective is that you are missing, for example, family or friends and subjective is about feeling lonely, which is the loneliness that is more harmful, both for well-being and health.

- I think it's worse to sit alone on Christmas Eve compared to a normal day.

But you can also feel lonely in a family or in the middle of people, for example not being listened to, understood or respected, says Bengt Brülde who has done several studies on loneliness.

H

igh pressure of the guides

According to Kimmo Kling, national coordinator for the On-call Priest, Christmas is the holiday when they and other guides receive the most calls.

- Over Christmas, there is always a marked increase.

Unlike midsummer, when there is also high pressure, I believe that the darkness also affects and that many have anxiety about a new year that is coming.

Professor: There are strategies

If you know that you should sit alone on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, what can help if you feel lonely?

- There are strategies such as distracting yourself with books and television, and exercise is also good if you have the opportunity to do so, says Bengt Brülde.

Other types of relationships can also be important.

- It can be about, for example, pets or a believing neighborhood.

There are also studies that show that TV series have a certain social function that can help, that you get to follow and get to know the characters for a longer period of time, he says.