And with family reunions becoming less frequent events over the years, there is now the added pressure of getting just one chance to get it all right. "Families are much more disparate now. The disappointment and sense of alienation that often results from family gatherings, is actually a realization that the fantasy is not met." says John Stutesman, a clinical psychologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
近年来,随着家庭团聚的减少,举办一个恰到好处的家庭聚会的压力也更大。芝加哥西北纪念医院的临床心理学家John Stutesman说,“现在的家庭是截然不同的,人们在家庭聚会中感到失望、疏远,实际上他们已认识到幻想不能实现”。
Still, say experts, the blues should be addressed. The most essential step, says Stutesman, is for the individual to acknowledge their feelings and the reason for their withdrawal. "Denial will only compound the stress they're feeling." 专家们说,针对假日忧伤人们还是应该采取措施。Stutesman说,最根本的措施是人们应承认他们的感受和消沉的原因。他说:“否认只会加重其紧张情绪。”
Stutesman recommends people do things that are normally comforting in order to get a handle on the holiday stress. "If they're feeling a little blue, they should try to do things personally satisfying for them. Maybe this is exercise, cooking, reading a book, or massage."
Stutesman建议人们做一些通常令人宽慰的事来对付假日紧张情绪,如果感到有些忧伤,应去做一些自觉惬意的事情,如锻炼、烹调、读书或按摩。
Stutesman also advises that sometimes "avoidance is actually not such a bad idea." In some situations, fulfilling social obligations may be self-destructive when the best thing may be to just stay home. "The healthy choice has to do with taking care of oneself."
他还建议说,有时“躲避其实也不是一个坏主意”。在某些情况下,最好的做法就是待在家中,履行社会义务反而会是自寻烦恼。健康的选择应该是照顾好自己。