4 reasons for Tet stress that should be avoided

Family reunions during Tet help members have more time together, but are also the main reason why conflicts easily arise, besides financial pressure and house cleaning problems.

Holidays are supposed to be a time of happiness and joy. However, for some people, the holidays can make them feel sad, lonely, and stressed. This psychological state is called “holiday depression” – a phenomenon that has yet to be scientifically defined.

So why do holidays that are supposed to improve health lead to mental breakdown? Dr. Tran Thi Hong Thu, Deputy Director of Mai Huong Daytime Psychiatric Hospital, identifies four common reasons for stress during Tet, as follows:

Family reunion

First, the tension comes from family reunions. During Tet, family members spend more time together. This is a great thing, but at some point, too much interaction can easily lead to conflicts related to lifestyle and behavior.

"For example, questions like 'When will you get married, when will you have children...?' unintentionally put pressure on the other person. From there, feelings of irritability and frustration begin to appear, easily making people stressed.

For couples with children working far from home, going home to celebrate Tet with the husband's family or the wife's family, regardless of the time, can become a conflict if not handled skillfully. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who do not get along, or have conflicting views on life or how to raise children, can also cause great stress.

House cleaning problem

Cooking, entertaining guests, and cleaning the house during Tet may seem trivial, but sometimes they can lead to conflicts. In fact, most families will have gatherings with relatives, friends, and colleagues to eat and drink, and consume alcohol. "If a family knows how to balance and share housework, conflicts will not occur. However, if only the woman is busy cooking and cleaning up after the men's endless drinking parties, conflicts can occur," said Dr. Thu.

Lonely

The opposite of family reunion is loneliness. Many people feel lonely while other families are still together, which can easily cause stress. People who celebrate Tet away from home for the first time and cannot return home may feel lost and depressed.

Financial pressure

As Tet approaches, we tend to overspend on shopping and gifts, and many people face financial pressure. In fact, at the end of the year, the workload is double or triple that of normal days, along with the deadline to finish before Tet to welcome the new year, making everyone overloaded. At the same time, women have to take care of more housework, preparing Tet meals or gifts for relatives and in-laws, which also requires a lot of time and effort, physical fatigue can easily lead to mental stress. Not to mention, the culture of giving lucky money can also easily make you overspend.

People buy tickets to return home at My Dinh Bus Station (Hanoi) during Tet. Photo: Pham Chieu — People buy tickets to return home at My Dinh Bus Station ( Hanoi ) during Tet. Photo: *Pham Chieu*

In general, there are many other family conflicts that can arise during Tet. When stressed, people tend to sleep more or less than usual, lose interest, have difficulty concentrating, often feel lonely, irritable, and like to be alone.

This condition, if prolonged, can seriously affect mental health, leading to various problems such as depression and anxiety disorders. Many people abuse alcohol and stimulants, leading to more serious memory loss.

According to Dr. Thu, there are many ways to prevent stress during Tet, including accepting your emotions and not hiding them to make them worse.

"This means you don't have to be happy, but allow yourself to express your emotions, even cry, or confide in those around you to understand each other better," the doctor said.

If you feel isolated and alone, take the initiative to reach out to others. You can also put your grievances on hold until a more appropriate time to discuss them, and be understanding if others seem upset or ask questions you don't like. Instead, think positively: "Everyone has their own opinion, or maybe they just want to be more considerate of you."

Before you start shopping for Tet, figure out how much you can afford to spend, then stick to your budget. Don’t try to buy short-term happiness with unnecessary items that will take months to pay off. And don’t feel guilty if you give too little as lucky money to your loved ones.

Maintain healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, practicing deep breathing, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco abuse. You should also adjust the time you spend on social media to avoid receiving too much stressful information.

If you have tried but still feel sad, tired, sleepless, hopeless for a long time (about 4-6 weeks) or this condition repeats for many years and gets worse, you should see a psychologist.

Thuy Quynh

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