How to Cope with Holiday Stress: Practical Tools for Overwhelm
The holidays can be a time filled with joy and magic, but they can also be stressful and overwhelming. It can be difficult to manage all the festivities and social events and still have time for self-care. Keep reading to learn how to cope with this stress as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday.
Understanding Holiday Stress:
When the holidays roll around, we often feel varying emotions. We may look forward to quality time with loved ones, a great meal, or the time off of work. We may also feel anxious about family dynamics and how to manage emotions when tensions run high. We may become stressed by the financial strain of gift giving and travel, or the social engagements to attend, or the loneliness of not having social engagements planned. All of these emotions can impact our overall well being. We often don't sleep as well; maybe feel more distracted at work; experience feelings of dread; or can even feel nauseous, short of breath and sweaty.
Identify Triggers:
An important first step to prepare for the holidays is to identify which stressor causes the most anxiety. Is it the financial strain? The conversation with a family member that you already know will be difficult? Focus on the things that you know will spike your cortisol levels, so that you can create helpful coping skills to target those specific scenarios. If you aren’t sure what those triggers are, take note this holiday season of events that cause anxiety so that you can prepare for them next year!
Practical Strategies:
First: prioritize self-care, even when you are out of your normal routine. Go for a walk by yourself, go to bed a little earlier one night, or let your family know ahead of time that you are planning to have a “solo day” while home.
Second: set realistic expectations for yourself. If you know that going to multiple social events will be overwhelming, choose one or a few that you are looking forward to, and say no to the others. You can always meet up with friends or family 1-on-1 for coffee or a walk so that you can get that quality time without the stress of a large event. You can also speak to family members beforehand. Say something like, “I am really hoping to decrease my stress levels this holiday season, so I am allowing myself to say no when necessary. I hope you guys enjoy the party, and I’m excited to hear all about it when you get home!”
Third: focus on your time management. Identify where and when you have to be places and don’t feel obligated to “hang around” at the end of an evening. Getting home and going to bed so you can recharge for the next day is more important than many realize. If needed, you can say things to your host like, “we are so excited to join you all for this event. We do have to leave around 8pm, so we will make sure to find you early on to catch up!”
Fourth: remember you have the ability to walk away. If conversations at the dinner table become tense, or you feel overwhelmed by the number of family members/friends all in one place, you can quietly excuse yourself for a few minutes. If you live in a colder climate, walk outside and take some big breaths of the cold air. This will immediately lower your stress levels. You can also offer to run an errand for someone so that you get out of the house and have some alone time, while still lending a helping hand.
Lastly: seek out support, whether that is in person or over the phone. Touch base with someone before the holiday and discuss how you can feel supported by them when needed. Maybe that is a cousin at the family holiday who can go for a walk with you to de-stress, or a friend from home that you can call and vent to.
Holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate, relax, and spend quality time with loved ones. When that inevitable stress does happen, focus on the coping skills listed above to get you through. Try to remind yourself to be present, find gratitude in the small things, and know that the high stress is only temporary. You’ve got this!
Written by: Piper Benjamin