The holiday season is a time filled with magic and excitement. It often provides an opportunity to step away from work and spend quality time with friends and family. This time of year can also be a time of stress and anxiety for many people. Decorating, shopping for gifts, attending holiday parties and spending time with family can quickly become overwhelming. We become pulled in so many directions it can be difficult to remain present and enjoy all that this season has to offer.
There are several ways to minimize stress and anxiety so you create more enjoyment from this joyful time of year. A few ideas and tips to lighten some of the seasonal stress include:
Know Your Limits:
Determine what activities and events are most important to you and attend those. There is no need to attend everything you are invited to at the expense of feeling exhausted or depleted. Embrace saying no to the things you don’t want to join, so you can make space for things that matter most to you, be that time with family or specific holiday traditions. Think back to previous years and try to identify how much togetherness you and your family can tolerate before experiencing negative stress. Also remember that holidays are a time when people reminisce about family members and other important life events, so it can be tough for people who have lost loved ones. All of these dynamics can increase holiday anxiety
Plan Ahead:
Try not to approach the holidays assuming everything will magically work itself out. Create a flexible plan for gift shopping, baking cookies, seeing family and connecting with friends. Whatever form of planning works best for you can help you be prepared for holiday stress. This preparation can help reduce anxiety because you know better what to expect and when.
Change your expectations:
No holiday celebration (or person) is perfect. Any potential slip-ups are great opportunities to exercise your ability to be flexible and resilient. Broken ornaments or a burned dessert won’t ruin your holiday - while likely to be a disappointment for this year, it can create a funny family memory down the road. It’s important to keep everything in perspective. Remind yourself that if something goes wrong, its only one holiday and not a catastrophe. Accept too that arguments between family members might occur due to high stress levels. Although uncomfortable these situations usually work themselves out and individuals can move past tensions that may arise.
Clearly state your boundaries:
It’s important to be aware of your limitations with family and friends. And remember that just because you have done something in the past does not mean that you must continue to do it. Time changes things, other responsibilities take priority, or what you have done in the past is just no longer possible – that is ok. Work towards confidently sharing your boundaries with others. And remember, people are free to disagree with or dislike your boundaries. Because your boundaries are to protect your inner sense of peace, not to pacify or benefit others.
If you are experiencing a difficult time in your life and are interested in giving counseling a try, contact me at 903-765-1743. Anxiety therapy can help you understand and better manage your stress at the holidays and in response to other life transitions as well.
