It’s the holiday season. We should be happy and upbeat and joyful, right?

Brianna Reinhold

Well, for many, the holidays bring on bouts of depression, heightened anxiety due to the demands of the season and unattainable expectations. According to the American Psychological Association, 44% of women and 33% of men surveyed feel stressed during the holidays.

Do you ever feel overly stressed about family gatherings and fearful that arguments surrounding politics or other sensitive topics will ensue?

Are you already feeling financially stressed due to inflation and now worry about how to make ends meet for the holidays and give your kids the most magical Christmas?

Do you feel pressured to live up to social media’s expectations of what is a perfectly decorated home, or the best baked goods, or to find the perfect holiday gifts?

If you answered yes to any of those, you could be experiencing holiday blues. Don’t worry, I’ve got tips to help you best navigate the holiday season.

Some of the most common symptoms of holiday blues include trouble concentrating, anxiety, irritability, stress, fatigue, sadness and eating or drinking more than usual. Symptoms usually start to pop up around Thanksgiving and carry into the new year. They can manifest differently for each person and from year to year depending on circumstances.

Reasons why individuals may experience holiday blues:

  • Memories of loved ones who have passed.
  • Unrealistic or unattainable expectations.
  • Feeling overwhelmed or stressed.
  • Isolation or loneliness.
  • Financial difficulties.

Tips for overcoming the holiday blues

  • Coping strategies: Finding outlets to help manage your emotions can be the most beneficial for you. This may include talking with and sharing your emotions, whether with a friend or a counselor, writing in a journal, listening/dancing to music, creating art, exercising, etc. These can all help to release some of the emotional buildup that happens while also releasing dopamine and/or oxytocin, the feel-good drugs in our brain.
  • Be realistic: You will most likely not have the picture-perfect decorated home for the holidays or the best tasting pies and cookies. That is OK. Do what works best for you and your family. There is no set standard for what needs to be done. Put up enough that you all smile and appreciate it without letting it send you into a huge stress tailspin.
  • Volunteer: This can be a great source of comfort knowing you helped someone else. It can also help reduce some of the anxiety you may be feeling about having the perfect holiday experience when you realize how grateful you are for the more simplistic things in life.
  • Take care of yourself: Maintain your healthy habits. Exercising, sleeping, eating, etc., will all play a role in your overall health and mental health. If you start not sleeping or providing your body with nutrients it can heighten anxiety, irritability and depression.
  • Don’t try to be a superhero: Everyone has complex family dynamics. If you are unable to avoid certain family members entirely, then try to limit your exposure to them and set firm boundaries. If a discussion starts that you don’t want to be a part of, it is OK to say something and/or excuse yourself. Don’t let others impact your mood because they want to have debates about sensitive topics.
  • Feel the grief: Allow yourself to experience the grief that you are feeling. It is OK to feel grief, especially around the holidays, as we want to spend those memories with people we have lost. Honor them in your celebrations.
    Focus on the positives: Start each day with a positive affirmation. Pat yourself on the back when you accomplish something, especially if it was overly stressful. Give yourself acknowledgement for completing your tasks. The holidays can be a lot of work on top of our daily lives and responsibilities, so give yourself some grace.

Brianna Reinhold is Owner/Clinical Director/Licensed Professional Counselor at Northern Lights Therapy, PLLC

 

This sponsored content was first published in the December edition of InMaricopa magazine

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