Tips for coping during Christmas
If you find Christmas a difficult time of year, this page has some tips to help you cope.
Different things can help us at different times, depending on our situation and how we’re feeling. Some of these tips may not feel helpful or relevant for you right now. Try some different things and see what works best for you.
“It had helped me to be on Mind’s online community in December. It was a nearly Christmas-free place. People knew that we all have to deal with a lot during this time of the year in our own worlds and it was peaceful just to talk.”
Getting support
If you’re struggling this Christmas, you may want to find support for your mental health. There are a few ways that you can do this:
-
Call Samaritans on 116 123 (freephone). Their English language line is always open. They have a Welsh language line too, which is open daily from 7pm to 11pm.
- Visit our useful contacts page for a list of organisations who can support your mental health or help with practical problems.
Getting Help in a Crisis
If you feel like you might attempt suicide, or may have seriously harmed yourself, you need urgent medical help. Please:
- Call 999 for an ambulance
- Go straight to A&E, if you can
- Call your local crisis team – if you don’t already have their number, you can find an urgent mental health helpline on the NHS website
If you can’t do this by yourself, ask someone to help you.
Mental health emergencies are serious. You’re not wasting anyone’s time.
