Managing Holiday Stress

The holiday season can be a fun time for individuals and families. It often brings people together in celebration. But, with all the joy a holiday season can bring, it can also lead to stress and overwhelm. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by all the holiday joy, pay attention to how you feel. Protecting your mental health during the holiday season is important.

To manage holiday stress: Prioritize

The first step in managing holiday stress is to get clear on your priorities this holiday season. Is it having memorable experiences with your family? Is it to show your coworkers how much you appreciate them? Or, it’s spending time honoring your spiritual or religious beliefs. Get out a pen and paper. Write down 2-3 things that are most important to you this holiday season. Think of why they are important. Create an intention. This year may not look like years past, and that’s okay. Get clear on what’s most important to you right now.

It’s okay to say “no”

Knowing what is most important to you in this season will help you recognize what to say “no” to during this time of year. Listen, I realize it can be hard to say “no” to some invitations or people. But, you won’t be able to enjoy the holidays if you can’t keep up with everything you say “yes” to. If you find yourself running ragged trying to be everything for everybody, take a step back. Remind yourself that when you say “yes” to everything, you are saying “no” to something. It’s okay for you to say no thank you or turn down certain invitations this holiday season. Go back to what’s most important to you to help you decide where to spend your time and energy.

Don’t forget to move

If you are attending a holiday event and feel guilty after too many visits to the dessert table, then take a walk outside. Engage in a family game or build a fire outside. Taking what I call “movement breaks” can go a long way in managing stress. Not only will this help support you mental health, but it will also help your physical wellbeing. During this time of year we can often put ourselves on the back burner. Give yourself permission to keep taking care of you so that way you can be present for everyone else.  

Take a break if you need to avoid holiday stress

Family gatherings and too much togetherness can at times be overwhelming. If you need to leave early from an event or gathering, don’t be afraid to do so. If you need to excuse yourself to go sit in your car for a minute, that’s okay too. You are in control of your time and how you want to spend it. It’s okay to take a moment to yourself when things become “too much”. Try to use calming strategies to relax your mind and body.

Connect with others

If you are feeling lonely, then reach out to others. Loneliness and isolation, especially during the holidays, can cause negative thoughts and depressed feelings to creep in. If you start to feel this way, reach out to someone–maybe a friend or coworker. Invite them to do something you both enjoy. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others this season. Someone, somewhere has a spot at their table for you. And if you don’t know where that is, you can invite someone to yours.

Let go of unrealistic expectations

Last, but not least, safeguard your mental health by letting go of unrealistic expectations. There has never been or will never be a “perfect” holiday season. Someone will burn the turkey or your aunt will start a fight about last year’s Christmas party gone wrong. It’s inevitable that something will not go according to plan. If you feel like things are spinning out of control or experience anxious thoughts, just stop and take some deep breaths for a minute. If we’ve learned anything from this year it’s that things don’t always go according to plan. Make space for the messy and uncertain. Focus on what’s important. And don’t miss the things that are right in front of you.

*This article was featured in the CENLA Focus Magazine.

Christy Pennison, LPC-S, is a board-certified professional counselor and owner of Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting. She provides counseling in Alexandria, LA, and specializes in working with individuals struggling with anxiety.  She is passionate about inspiring hope through counseling services to help individuals move forward and live fully.