The days are getting colder, mince pies are appearing on supermarket shelves, and some organised people have already bought all their gifts. Christmas is very much coming – but not everyone finds it the most wonderful time of the year.

In fact, for many people, it can be a particularly difficult period. One YouGov survey found that 25% of people say their mental health worsens during the festive season, with two in five people feeling stressed and one in four experiencing anxiety or depression during this time. “Dreading Christmas is surprisingly common,” says Alison Gee, a BACP-registered psychotherapist. “Despite its joy-filled reputation, Christmas often brings with it a considerable amount of anxiety and, for some, represents one of the hardest times of the year. What’s supposed to be the very definition of family, fun, loving and being loved, feels to many like the polar opposite.”

Gee says there are many reasons someone might experience Christmas dread: it could be that you’re worried about the financial strain that comes with Christmas, or feeling the pressure that everything has to be perfect. This time of year can also amplify feelings around the loss of a loved one, whether that’s a bereavement, a breakup or family estrangement. “This sadness is exaggerated because we see what we might want our lives to be like wherever we turn – on billboards, TV adverts, shop windows and on social media,” she explains.

Dreading Christmas? Therapists explain what it says about you (and how to cope with it)