Is Sending a Christmas Card Good for Your Health?
It’s that time of year again. Festive songs are being played on the radio and we are attending parties with work colleagues. Christmas is, apparently, the season to be merry and jolly.
However, although Christmas is a much-celebrated festive season, it is also one that elicits mixed feelings. While the celebrators busy themselves with the purchasing of gifts and the decorating of homes, trees, and sometimes even roofs and gardens, research since the 1950s has noted that, for some of us, depressive symptoms increase during this time; a phenomenon termed the "holiday blues."
In fact, recent polls have found that a quarter of those surveyed reported that the Christmas season can be stressful and makes their mental health worse. It might be that for those who are already depressed, a Christmas season laden with these social behaviors is likely to be threatening due to loss of motivation or not getting pleasure from their typical behaviors—in this case, sending Christmas cards. Loss of pleasure and motivation are key features of depression.
Moreover, we know that prosocial gestures like expressing gratitude in letters and cards have been found to boost positive emotions in both the receiver and sender.
What Did the Study Find?
We found that approximately 55 percent of nondepressed people reported "always" sending Christmas cards, compared to 46 percent of those with depression. And, when we accounted for gender, ethnicity, and religious affiliation, the study showed that the decreased likelihood of sending cards was evident only for Christians and no other religions.
What Does This All Mean?
Our results suggest that sending Christmas cards may give some insight as a behavior displayed by those with depression, especially for Christians at this period. However, other religious groups may have festival-related behaviors affected that may reflect those cultural values. Moreover, prior research has found that the prosocial gesture of expressing gratitude in letters and cards has been found to boost positive emotions in both the receiver and sender, and here we found that it was more than just the exchange of pleasantries and good wishes over the festive season.
Is there anything you wish you have told someone but didn't? Who would you send a card to this Christmas?
#Christmas #Gratitude #Joy
@calmDew1576
Glad there's avenues like the Anonymous shout outs and the Holiday Cards- An initiative by PAT in 7 cups, I'm excited to send many cards filled with comfort and cheer to fellow cupsers. It definitely feels nice to be able to remind someone how appreciated they are and that they aren't alone~ someone's thinking of them, even if they don't realise it.❤
