Psychologist named the main triggers of divorce after the New Year

Psychologist Savelyeva: seasonal fatigue increases the risk of breakups

Thu, 01/15/2026 - 00:55

Photo: Global Look Press/IMAGO/Dmitrii Marchen

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After the New Year holidays in Russia, an increase in divorces and breakups is traditionally recorded. This is not related to the holidays themselves, but to the internal processes in couples that escalate during this period. Clinical psychologist Ksenia Savelyeva told Izvestia about this.

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According to the expert, the long New Year's weekend acts as a kind of catalyst for existing problems in the relationship.

"Long vacations work like a psychological magnifying glass. They don't create new conflicts, but they expose and multiply the frustrations and emotional emptiness that could be ignored in everyday life," Savelieva explained.

The psychologist noted that on weekdays, stress is often smoothed out due to routine, work and constant employment, but during the holidays this protective mechanism disappears.

"When the familiar background disappears, the couple is left alone not only with each other, but also with unresolved issues that have nowhere else to put off," she added.

Additional stress is created by physiological and household factors. By the end of December, many people enter the holidays already in a state of emotional exhaustion.

"Seasonal affective disorder is not just a melancholy. The lack of sunlight reduces the level of energy and patience, increases irritability, which directly affects communication in a couple," explained the psychologist.

Alcohol becomes another risk factor, which reduces self-control and makes conflicts more acute.

"At the festive table, accumulated grievances can be expressed harshly and mercilessly. Morning regrets no longer negate what has been said," Savelieva stressed.

According to her, the January wave of divorces does not indicate a crisis in the institution of the family, but reflects a change in attitudes towards marriage.

"This is not the collapse of a relationship, but a transition from a union of duty to a partnership of conscious choice. The holidays are becoming a tough but honest test of strength," the expert concluded.