A lot of us rush over Christmas, especially among adults with family duties. We adapt to what the season demands of us, such as entertaining family and friends on the day and making sure everyone in our circle is happy with no one left out when it comes to presents, greetings, cards and etc. The expectation to be happy, cheerful and joyful at Christmas becomes a pressure to many of us.
A 2025 study suggested that the demand of Christmas can actually harm our emotions, and the burnout can result in not feeling naturally happy. Researchers looked at parents across the Christmas period and found that the more burnout occurs, the lower their emotional expression during the festive celebrations. This study focused on the parents, but this mechanism can be applied to everyone who is pushed by the social expectation to be cheerful even when they are feeling the strain of the occasion.
In my own experiences, being grateful improves my mood and balances how I feel, either Christmas or not; it removes sadness, and it changes the direction of how I think. In another 2025 study, researchers found that practising gratitude can actually make people happier and less hopeless. The participants did not mask their negative feelings, which means gratitude helped maintain a healthy balance. So, even if the holiday season leaves us stressed or overwhelmed, we can take a little time to be thankful, as it can help lift our mood, make things a bit lighter, and we feel much happier.
Further Reading: Militaru, I. E., et al. (2025). Higher momentary parental burnout predicts lower subsequent emotional expression in parents during the festive season. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-025-00346-y
Alkan, D., & Sarı, T. (2025). The effects of a brief gratitude group intervention on adolescents' hopelessness and happiness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-025-00373-0
image Credit: Brown paper packages
