With the holiday season in full swing, you may need tips to manage holiday anxiety. Ironic, right? Typically, the holiday season is a time to be cheerful and spend time with family, friends, and loved ones.
However, it can be stressful for many people because of the numerous activities they have to do. Some people also get anxious about having to be in large family gatherings or dealing with holiday parties.
If you are the kind of person who gets anxious during the holidays or knows someone who does, you need to read this article. It is filled with information about dealing with holiday anxiety. In addition to that, you will become acquainted with tips to manage the pressure that comes with the holidays effectively.
What Can Cause Holiday Stress?
For you to deal effectively with holiday anxiety, you need to know what causes it. To do this, you need to ask yourself some questions.
Understand the things weighing you down whenever the holidays come. Once you find out what these are, you can deal effectively with the stress factors.
Here are some of the things that can cause you to become anxious during the holidays:
Unhappy Memories from the Past
When some people are about to return home for the holidays, they may recall memories from the past. These may be sad memories, and pondering them for a long time can cause you to become anxious or depressed.
Toxic Relatives
In the holidays you are likely to see many of your relatives. If some of them have toxic personalities, you may dread meeting them. The thought of being in such relatives’ presence can cause you to become anxious.
Changes Have Occurred
Holiday stress can occur when changes occur during the year. For example, if you lose a loved one, had a divorce, or lost a job during the year, it may negatively impact your holidays.
You may begin to think of what may have been if those changes never occurred. Continually thinking of these things may cause you anxiety or depression.
Things are the Same
Sometimes, holiday anxiety results from you seeing the same things over and over again. If your celebrations are always monotonous and you see the same people you see in the year during the holidays, you may feel depressed about it.
Too Much to Do
You may have so much to do during the holidays. Over time, this can quickly get overwhelming, causing you to feel stressed and tired. You may also not eat well or sleep well during preparations and amid the celebrations. When the holiday ends, the effects may spiral, leading to post-holiday depression.
How to Cope With Holiday Anxiety
To deal better with anxiety during the holiday, you must avoid it in the first place. This is the best thing to do rather than trying to allow the stress to get to you and then dealing with it at its peak. Here are some tips that will help you keep holiday stress at bay.
Accept the Way You Feel
If you recently lost a loved one or can’t be with your loved ones during the holiday, you must learn to deal with the sadness that comes with it. You need to realize the way you feel is normal. Hence, you need to give yourself some time to express your feelings. Don’t force happiness unto yourself because of the holidays.
Don’t Keep Your Feelings to Yourself
If you are feeling lonely during the holidays, don’t stay that way. Instead, you need to reach out to people in your community, or attend social events. These places can offer you support in times like this.
You can also reach out to a close friend or family member. Tell them about how you feel. It is always best to let these feelings out instead of bottling them in. If you keep them with you, it can lead to depression and severe consequences.
You can also stay active during the holiday by volunteering for good causes. By helping others in need, you will uplift your spirits and make new and rewarding friends. Whatever you do, don’t keep those feelings bottled up.
Get Anxiety Treatment If You Need It
If you find it hard to deal with your holiday anxiety, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. You can get anxiety treatment in Toronto from qualified therapists. If your anxiety symptoms start to take their toll on you, get the help you need immediately.
Be Realistic With Your Holiday Plans
One of the most useful tips to manage holiday anxiety is being realistic with your holiday plans. Everyone wants a perfect holiday, but sometimes plans don’t come to fruition. Traditions have changed over the years. Mostly, old traditions will have to give rise to new ones.
Hence, if you plan your holidays based on those ancient traditions, you need to come to terms with the present reality. Find ways to celebrate even if all your loved ones can’t be around. Even if the holidays are not what you expected, it should not stop you from celebrating.
Don’t Hold On To Grudges
If you have any differences with any family member, this is the time to let go of those grudges. The holiday is for sharing love and not for breeding hate. Be understanding with each other and don’t give room for disagreements. Share laughs, share hugs and make merry.
Don’t Overspend
Sometimes people experience holiday stress because of bad spending habits. Life goes on after the holidays, and you should plan for that too. Don’t spend all your money in the name of being merry. Stick to a budget and try not to exceed it.
Stay Healthy
The holiday season comes with so much eating and drinking. However, you must ensure you don’t over-indulge yourself and get carried away with doing these. Apart from over-eating and over-drinking, you also need to continue with your healthy habits.
Eat healthy food, sleep well, and get regular exercise. Practice meditation and yoga, go for walks, stay away from drugs. Whatever you do this holiday, ensure it is safe for your health and wellbeing.
Other steps to manage holiday anxiety include planning ahead of time, saying no to events you don’t want to attend, and taking a breather. It is essential to plan ahead of time to avoid putting yourself in stressful situations. If you don’t want to participate in an event, don’t force yourself to go. If you do, you will only end up giving yourself undue anxiety.
Lastly, it is good to make time for yourself during the holiday. In fact, this is one of the practical tips to manage holiday anxiety. It is good to spend a few minutes or hours alone during the holidays to do something that refreshes you. You can take a walk, swim, read a book, listen to good music, or even sleep.
Conclusion
You now know the things that can cause you to have holiday stress. You have also learned the tips to manage holiday anxiety and should be able to handle it. However, if you are overwhelmed by the activities and feel depressed, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
Here at Addiction Rehab, our anxiety treatment services can provide you with the professional help you need. Our team of expert therapists will help you deal better with the pressure you feel and overcome it.
We have many years of experience and have much positive feedback from clients validating our expertise. Give us a call today and allow us to help you overcome your holiday anxiety. Happy holidays!
Related article: Anxiety Treatment: Helpful Tips for Coping
