It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the most stressful. The American Psychiatric Association reports that 41% of Americans experience increased stress increases during the festive season. With the holiday season comes food, rest, and laughs, but it can also bring obnoxious family members, busy malls, and a stretched-thin wallet.
How do the holidays affect mental health?
For many of us, the holiday season can come with stressors that can impact our mental health. These stressors include grief, financial strain, societal expectations, family drama, and social anxieties.
These stressors can then manifest in the following ways:
- poor concentration
- fatigue
- poor sleep
- appetite changes
- lack of motivation
Now, while you can’t completely avoid holiday stress, there are a few ways you can manage it, without ruining your holiday mood.
14 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress
1. Acknowledge your feelings
It can be hard to take a moment to check in with your feelings during the festive season. Yet, if you really want to stay on top of your stress during the holidays, then you need to be able to acknowledge your feelings. Once you do this and can identify your feelings, be it stress, anger, grief, frustration, or fear, then you’ll be able to address it.
2. Make a holiday budget
Finances are always stressful, and this is definitely heightened during the festive season, with the expectation of gifts, parties, and a surplus of food.
So, creating a budget is the best way to stay on top of your money and not get lost in holiday spending. Doing so will help you avoid impulse purchases, and you won’t need to deal with the extra stressors that come with Januworry.
3. It’s okay to say NO
If you really want to protect your mental health and stay clear of excess stress during the holidays, then it’s imperative that you establish clear boundaries with those around you.
Granted, it may feel a little scary to say no to your loved ones or relatives, but you’ll need to do it if you really want to protect your peace during this period – respectfully, of course.
4. Try mindfulness hacks
Mindfulness can help you pause, reflect, and be present with your emotions. Additionally, mindful techniques can also help you manage these emotions if you feel too stressed out.
Breathing techniques and journaling can help keep you grounded and able to push through the holiday season. Additionally, you can also try listening to your favorite song or reading a few chapters of the book you’re currently reading to ease your stressful emotions.
5. Get some sun and fresh air
Nature truly is the best medicine, especially if you’re stressed out, with researchers finding that nature can improve symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.
Fresh air can also help to stabilise your mood, as can getting some sun, which is something that people often don’t get enough of during the festive season.
6. Get enough sleep
It can be easy to feel strung out during the festive season, so it’s important to get enough shut-eye during this period.
Stress not only affects sleeping patterns, but lack of sleep can also heighten your stress levels, as well as your anxieties. So, as opposed to staying up late chatting with relatives or waking up early for some festive shopping, it’s essential that you give yourself the gift of rest and get those quality 7–8 hours.
7. Eat a healthy diet
Yes, ’tis the season for sweet treats, but excess fat, calories, and sugar will only heighten your anxiety, especially if you’re not sleeping well.
There are plenty of anti-aging holiday foods that you can indulge in during this period, all whilst staying clear of baked goods, eggnog, alcohol, and sweet treats. Granted, this may be easier said than done, especially if you’re in a jolly, or sour, mood, so we advise that you at least keep your intake of these foods to a minimum.
8. Stay hydrated
It’s essential to stay hydrated during the festive season as dehydration can leave you tired, sluggish and much more cranky. Additionally, you may find yourself consuming excess alcohol, and this can also dehydrate you.
That said, it’s important to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, but just try not to overdo it as you may find yourself suffering a seizure like Brooke Shields.
9. Exercise
Yes, it’s the season of rest and leisure, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be breaking a sweat. After all, exercise will help you relieve stress, and it can also improve your mood.
Photo by Kampus Production
You don’t need to visit your local, likely empty, gym to break a sweat. You can also have a snowball fight, spend your mornings doing yoga, or even get your steps in at the mall.
10. Play games
It’s the season of joy, and what better way to embrace joy than by playing a few board games?
Not only is it stress relieving, but you’re guaranteed to enjoy a few laughs with your loved ones, especially when you’re playing nail-biting games like 30 Seconds and Monopoly. Just remember that it’s all good fun and not to take it personally if you find yourself heavily indebted to the bank.
11. Reach out to family and friends
If you find yourself unable to travel home during the festive season, you may begin to feel lonely and isolated. To ease the symptoms that may come with this, we advise embracing the power of technology and regularly checking in with your loved ones.
Additionally, if you’re not in the mood for a holiday party or family lunch, try inviting a friend or two over for some quality time.
12. Seek support when needed
The holidays can be incredibly draining, especially if you’ve had a hard year. If you notice that your stress levels are starting to affect your ability to function, then it’s advisable to reach out to a therapist or counselor, as many mental health institutions are open during the festive season.
13. If you’re in therapy, stay in therapy
Yes, most people switch off during the festive season, but your therapist may not necessarily be one of those people. If you are in therapy, it’s important to try to keep any regularly scheduled therapy sessions, especially because the festive season can bring up many emotions.
14. Be kind to yourself
It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the most perfect time of the year. Allow yourself some grace during this period, as things may not always go as planned.
Instead of fretting about this and turning into a Grinch, focus on the good things, and enjoy creating new memories with your loved ones.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2021). Nationwide Holiday Mental Health Poll Reveals Americans Are Worried About Contracting COVID, Missing Family Members, and Procuring and Affording Gifts. Psychiatry.org. https://tinyurl.com/2kw8scc7
Nejade, R. M., Grace, D., & Bowman, L. R. (2022). What is the impact of nature on human health? A scoping review of the literature. Journal of Global Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.12.04099
