It soothes stress

While play is a hugely important and time-consuming part of childhood, it can get left by the wayside as we grow up. This, Dr Mort says, is a mistake – and a big reason why the cultural permission to play at Christmas is so good for us. It’s a time when we’re practically expected to wear silly hats, tell bad jokes and roll out Twister, and fully embracing that comes with big psychological benefits.

“Leaning into childlike frivolity is beneficial because it releases endorphins, boosts our mood and reduces stress, yet society often shames adults for it,” says Dr Mort. She prescribes play to her clients who identify as perfectionists or workaholics and only fill their days with ‘productive’ activities. “It can be met with resistance at first because they feel like it’s weird or a waste of time, but actually, after someone allows themselves to play and do frivolous ‘unproductive’ things just for the joy of it, they realise quite quickly how much brighter, more relaxed and hopeful they feel.”

Dave Neale, a researcher in play and psychology at the University of Cambridge, says that childish games are ideal for helping smooth over any awkwardness or fraught family dynamics at Christmas, too. “Play can be very social and create great bonding experiences,” he says. “It is excellent at defusing tension and so can help maintain good relationships when things get difficult.” In short, don’t hesitate to enlist everyone in a living room dance party – chances are it will lift the mood completely.

It inspires creativity

One thing about younger me: I was a prolific crayon artiste. I could spend hours dreaming up worlds in my head and committing them to paper in bright primary colours. That flow of creativity we feel as children, Dr Mort explains, is down to a little thing called wonder – the very opposite of grown-up cynicism.

Can regressing to our younger selves at Christmas actually be good for us?