Effective Strategies for Managing Holiday Season Stress

What Are The Biggest Holiday Stressors?

The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, filled with joy and excitement. But it can also be a source of unwanted stress for many people. Some of the common stressors that can leave you feeling overwhelmed when the holidays come around each year include:

• Affording holiday gifts and meals

• Making sure all the gifts are wrapped and ready

• Prepping and cooking food if you’re hosting holiday parties

• Making sure the house is clean

• Feeling pressured to create amazing memories with the perfect decorations, gifts, and meals

• Spending money on travel

• Traveling during the holiday season through traffic, crowded airports, and weather disruptions

• Dealing with the challenges of family and social dynamics

• Experiencing loneliness and/or grief if you don’t have family and friends around

• Drinking too much alcohol or eating too much during the holidays

• Feeling sad due to the combined effect of the holiday blues as well as seasonal affective disorder (seasonal depression)

The Impact of Holiday Stress on Mental Health  

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 2 in 5 people in the U.S. report experiencing increased stress around the holidays, mainly related to gifts and meals. Older adults are more likely to experience holiday stress stemming from relationships with children and other family members. Younger adults who make less than $50,000 a year are more likely to be stressed about affording the holidays. 

Holiday stress can trigger new symptoms of anxiety and depression. In people with pre-existing mental health conditions, the holidays can cause worsening symptoms. Stress can also lead to physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, upset stomach, sleep problems, and palpitations. In addition, holiday stress can increase the risk of substance abuse and relapse among people in recovery from substance use disorders. 

Why Are The Holidays Stressful for So Many People?

Experts say that the human brain responds to changes in circumstances through a set of cognitive skills called the “shifting set,” where the brain updates how it functions to get things done. These skills include time management, attention, focus, planning, organizing, and memory. 

The shifting set is challenging at any time of year, but particularly so during the holidays when the brain is required to shift rapidly to changes in the environment. In other words, the holiday season brings with it a sudden increase in the number of tasks and responsibilities, placing the prefrontal cortex in the brain into overdrive. Once the holidays are over, this stressful situation and strain on the brain go away.

Scientists say the best way to deal with the holiday blues is to prioritize people and activities that are truly meaningful and to maintain realistic expectations to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 

Sources of Holiday Stress

Financial Strain and Overspending 

For many people, holiday stress stems from the financial strain of spending on gifts, meals, and travel. The holidays can result in gift-giving pressure (the expectation to give friends and family members expensive gifts). Many families travel during the holiday season when flight tickets and hotels are relatively expensive, further adding to the financial burden. All this can lead to overspending, which can cause stress during and after the celebrations are over.

Family Tensions and Obligations  

The holiday season can create new issues and/or amplify existing conflicts among family members, especially when families spend long periods of time together. This can bring underlying tensions to the surface and lead to family discord. The heightened emotions as a result of these family tensions can contribute to holiday stress. 

The Pressure of Social Commitments  

A barrage of family gatherings, holiday parties, and social events can quickly start to feel overwhelming, particularly for people who are shy or introverted by nature or suffer from social anxiety and need alone time. Those who are hosting family and friends at home can start to feel overwhelmed with the cleaning, cooking, decorating, and party planning. Even for people who love socializing, the schedule of social events during the holiday season can lead to fatigue and burnout.

Comparisons and Perfectionism

Many people feel the pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” during the holiday season more than any other time of the year. Feelings of envy or embarrassment can cause some people to overspend on holiday decorations, meals, and gifts. In addition, some people strive for perfectionism and want to create a perfect memory, which can be exhausting and stressful.

Time Management

The holidays can be a testing time where most people need to juggle buying and wrapping gifts, putting up decorations, and prepping and cooking meals in addition to their usual work and family responsibilities. The need to get a lot done in a small amount of time can add to the stress of the holidays.

Grief and Loss

The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for people who have lost a loved one recently. As families focus on togetherness and celebrations, feelings of grief, loneliness, and sadness can intensify for those who have suffered a bereavement or those who don’t have family and friends around.

Practical Tips for Coping with Holiday Stress  

Set Realistic Expectations 

The Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi means finding joy in imperfections. It’s a good concept to embrace during the holidays for stress relief. By letting go of perfection and by setting realistic expectations, you can find joy in the small things. This can help you create meaningful memories filled with genuine happiness rather than being dictated by social pressures. This shift in mindset will allow you to enjoy the holidays without feeling stressed.

Identify Priorities and Respect Differences

Budgeting for gifts, decorations, meals, entertainment, and travel is essential for a stress-free holiday season. Planning and sticking to your budget can reduce the financial stress of the holidays. Prioritize spending based on needs and resources. Choose meaningful gifts and avoid giving in to lavish expectations, extravagant gifts, or impulsive buying.

Time Management Techniques for Busy Schedules  

• Plan ahead to stay on top of your to-do list and errands and avoid last-minute stress. 

• Set realistic goals in terms of what you can accomplish. 

• Take a short break between tasks and practice self-care to boost productivity and enjoy the holiday experience. 

• Prioritize tasks and remind yourself it’s okay if you don’t get everything done. 

• Delegate tasks to family members so everyone shares the workload. 

• Learn to say no and avoid taking on too much.

Practice Mindfulness, Meditation, and Relaxation Exercises

In the whirlwind of the holidays, it is important to take time out and focus on self-care. This includes relaxing activities that calm and soothe the mind, such as mindfulness (being in the present moment), meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation to reduce stress. Another way to manage holiday stress is to indulge yourself with a luxurious activity such as a spa day. 

Strategies for Effective Stress Management  

Here’s a quick recap of strategies for stress management during the holidays:

• Plan ahead for gifts, meals, and decorations.

• Prioritize commitments and decide how and with whom you will spend your time.

• Make a budget for the holidays and stick to it.

• Respect differences and accept the viewpoints of others, forgive and forget, and try to diffuse tensions within the family.

• Focus on creating holiday memories that are not necessarily expensive but special for you and your family.

• Talk with loved ones and share feelings of sadness to ease feelings of grief and loss.

• Practice self-care and take breaks to slow down and enjoy the holidays. For instance, by taking a nap, going for a walk, watching a holiday movie, or reading a good book.

Healthy Habits: Nutrition and Exercise for Stress Reduction  

Healthy habits such as healthy eating, regular exercise, relaxation, and restful sleep are vital for managing holiday stress. The holidays can be a busy time of year, but it’s important to make time for exercise. And while the occasional indulgence is okay, it’s best not to let your eating plan get completely derailed. This can result in weight gain and setbacks that can cause depression and anxiety after the holidays are over.

What Are The 5 A's of Stress Management?

The 5 A's of stress management are a holistic way of managing stress. They include:

• Avoiding substances like drugs and alcohol. 

• Altering your schedule to include time for self-care. 

• Adapting to situations and changing plans when needed.

• Accepting family and social support (not trying to do it all yourself). 

• Asserting your feelings instead of bottling up emotions (and learning to say no).

Creating a Supportive Holiday Environment

Recognizing Symptoms of the Holiday Blues  

Symptoms of the holiday blues can include emotions such as feeling sad, worried, hopeless, lonely, or angry. They can also include behavioral changes like overeating, drinking excessively, overspending, or losing interest in previously enjoyed activities. In addition, physical symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, insomnia, and digestive issues. Severe holiday-season depression can lead to thoughts of self-harm (suicidal ideation). 

Lift Your Holiday Spirit: How To Manage Holiday Anxiety?

Here are some ways to lift your holiday spirit: 

• Be grateful: Acknowledge the people and experiences that make your life meaningful and express gratitude to others. You can do this by writing in a gratitude journal.

• Spend time with loved ones: Celebrate the holidays with friends and create a festive atmosphere. 

• Cook holiday food: Bake cookies or make other special dishes.

• Bring out the holiday entertainment: Listen to your favorite festive music and watch lighthearted holiday movies with loved ones.

• Play Secret Santa: Enjoy this popular tradition where each person draws a name from a hat and buys a gift for that person. 

• Make your own cards and decorations: Exercise your creativity and spread holiday cheer by making cards and decorations for yourself, your family, and your friends.

• Switch to new holiday traditions if old ones trigger feelings of sadness.

When to Seek Professional Support  

You should seek help from a mental health professional for holiday blues if: 

• You have thoughts or actions of wanting to harm or kill yourself.

• You feel sad or depressed most of the time. 

• Your negative emotions and mood swings are affecting your relationships.

• You’re having trouble coping with job responsibilities or school work.

• Your sleep and appetite are affected.

• The feelings persist after the holidays.