Mental Health

Holiday Stress Tips for Dealing with Family

December 10, 2024

While many people look forward to the holiday season, for others, it’s a time when their stress increases. Sometimes, the big holidays make it feel harder to maintain your self-motivation and stay resolute in your recovery goals. Holiday stress management can be a challenge, but there are plenty of useful tips you can implement. In order to keep stress and anxiety at bay this winter, tackle each event by utilizing these suggestions. Here are some holiday stress tips for dealing with family and everything else that comes with the season.

What Is Holiday Stress?

Simply put, holiday stress is an increase in feelings of overwhelm, stress, anxiety, and decreased mental wellness due to the holidays. Song lyrics praise the holidays as “the most wonderful time of the year,” but statistics show this sentiment isn’t universal. In a 2023 survey, 9 out of 10 adults in the U.S. said their stress increases at this time of the year. Notably, it’s possible to feel contrasting emotions during Christmas. You can feel excited and stressed about upcoming plans. It’s possible to feel both joy and sadness over the holidays.

What Causes Holiday Stress?

With every TV commercial and storefront showcasing the holiday season, why doesn’t everyone have a sense of joy? Why are the holidays stressful? There are many common reasons why people feel like their mental health decreases around Thanksgiving and Christmas. For some, the season doesn’t carry warm or happy memories and can trigger old feelings of unease. For others, the pressures of gift buying, hosting, attending plans, and presenting an image make the holidays lose some joy. Further, some specific reasons often play a role in causing holiday stress.

Family Dynamics

If you have close relationships with your family members, the holidays can feel like a happy reunion. But if your family dynamics feel a bit tenuous or shifting, you may feel a sense of anxiousness about spending so much time together. Most commonly, individuals experience a mix of both happiness and nervousness when it comes to their family dynamics. It’s important to understand that all families face challenges, and you’re not alone.

Financial Strain

Across all holidays, including Christmas, Hannukah, and other holidays celebrated by people in the U.S., gift-giving is emphasized. Undeniably, this creates financial stress and strain. Not only can you stress about buying presents for everyone in your life, but you may also worry about finding gifts at affordable prices.

Unrealistic Expectations

We all know when the holidays approach because it’s impossible to ignore all the messaging. Whether you’re out and about or staying at home, you won’t be able to avoid seeing evidence of the season. Advertising places strong emphasis on the “perfect” holiday experience in TV commercials, online ads, and social media. Notably, these ads reflect a magical image of the holidays that isn’t realistic. It creates pressure to meet certain standards and goals when the true aim should be enjoying an authentic experience.

Busy Schedules and Exhaustion

It can feel difficult enough to find time for yourself between work, responsibilities, commitments, and social obligations. When you add holiday events into the mix, you can easily wear yourself out. As a result, your schedule gets busier, and some things may fall to the wayside as they get replaced. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll be less prepared to face all the holiday arrangements. As such, you can find yourself wondering why you feel irritable.

Seasonal Depression

Seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a mental illness that comes and goes at different times of the year. Although your seasonal depression can return during the spring and summer, it most commonly occurs during fall and winter. External factors like dreary weather and less sunlight may trigger SAD. However, seasonal elements also worsen symptoms like holiday stress.

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Holiday Stress Tips That Can Help Make the Season Easier

Whether you struggle with an anxiety disorder, behavioral disorder, or history of substance addiction, the holidays can be equally hard. We can help you have an easier experience this winter with these tips for managing holiday season stress. First, create a plan of attack for how to approach each event and gathering by following these intentions.

Set Realistic Goals

When preparing for the holidays, be realistic in your goals. Remember that the perfect holiday picture is unrealistic, especially if you’re struggling with stress. Importantly, allow yourself to make your own intentions for what the season will look like.

Budget Ahead of Time for Expenses

With finances being a large component of holiday stress, try to tackle them proactively and realistically. Set a budget for what you’ll spend between presents, travel, activities, and food. If certain plans aren’t feasible, be honest with yourself that you might not be able to balance everything.

Avoid Triggers

Holiday triggers can feel draining, especially if you’ve undergone treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction or are working through programming. One characteristic of substances is the long-lasting pull they have on you. Regardless of how long you’ve been sober, you can still feel tempted to use substances again. It’s important to plan ahead and avoid situations where you know your self-motivation will be challenged. For example, if you know certain people or situations have caused stress in the past, do your best to politely avoid them. Don’t be afraid of honest dialogue where you outline how being around alcohol or substances presents a trigger for you.

Focus on Yourself

Amidst all the busyness and time spent with others, make sure you focus on yourself. Carve out time for self-care and routines. Maintaining habitual practices is really important when you’re overcoming a substance disorder or mental disorder. Practicing healthy habits can go a long way in reducing stress. Try to eat healthy, get exercise, and avoid situations where you’ll be tempted to drink alcohol or take substances. And remember that you have to take care of yourself in order to stay healthy and well for the New Year.

It’s Okay to Say No

Although it might be difficult, remember you don’t have to agree to every plan or attend every event. Advocate for yourself by setting healthy limitations. Your family and friends will want to support you if you explain why you need to skip certain activities.

Can a Mental Health Counselor Help with Holiday Stress?

If your self-care routines aren’t doing the trick and you feel your stress and anxiety rising, a mental health treatment center can help. There’s no shame in admitting you can’t manage your symptoms on your own. Battling stress during the holidays is a common experience, but it shouldn’t pull you under. Our mental health recovery centers offer outpatient programs for stress, anxiety, and trauma. Our mental health counselors will teach you valuable skills and resources for coping with the season’s stressors.

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Can a Mental Health Counselor Help with Holiday Stress?

Where Can I Find a Mental Health Therapist for Stress?

Fortunately, you don’t have to look far to find a mental health therapist. Each of the treatment providers under the umbrella of Aliya Health Group is staffed with licensed therapists and coaches. Our facilities span the United States in the following locations: