Dealing with Holiday Anxiety: Helpful Strategies for the Season

With the holidays approaching, you might feel your stress levels creeping up with each passing day. You have gifts to wrap, parties to attend, cookies to bake, and countless holiday activities filling your calendar. When there’s so much going on, it can be hard to truly enjoy this festive time of year.

In addition to juggling endless commitments, you might also have to get together with relatives who you may not see very often and don’t necessarily get along with. Your packed schedule and the thought of dealing with potential family bickering might have you on edge. But you don’t have to resign yourself to an anxiety-inducing holiday season. Here are a few recommendations to help you embrace the holidays.

Set a Reasonable Budget

During the holiday season, it can feel like there’s pressure to spend money everywhere you turn. Outlining your personal budget and determining how much you can comfortably afford to spend on gifts and holiday activities can bring you peace of mind. Decide on an upper limit for your spending. Then, you can make smart decisions about what is worth your money and avoid the financial stress that so often accompanies the holidays.

Get Comfortable With Saying “No”

You do not have to accept invitations for every holiday gathering you’re invited to. Go over your schedule and consider what makes the most sense for you to attend. You might want to turn down invites to events that would involve traveling long distances or spending lots of money. It can be hard to let people down, especially family members or close friends. But sometimes, you can’t make room in your schedule for everything.

Delegate Household Tasks

Do you tend to find yourself doing all of the decorating, cleaning, and cooking around your house in the lead up to the holidays? If so, it’s time to get your family to pitch in. Talk to your family members about which tasks they can take on to lighten your load. If other family members are unable or unwilling to take care of some holiday tasks, you might have to nix them from your to-do list. You’re not the only one responsible for creating holiday magic in your house!

Determine Your Boundaries Before Family Gatherings

Perhaps you feel exceptionally anxious about going to family gatherings around the holidays. You might disagree with your relatives on politics, parenting styles, interpersonal issues, and more. As you get ready for family parties, you may worry about getting roped into uncomfortable conversations or accidentally offending someone. You might even dread holiday family gatherings for this reason.

Before you show up to an event, think about which topics are too sensitive for conversations between family members. Remember, you’re not required to share everything with your family. You can politely exit a conversation that makes you uncomfortable.

Make Room in Your Schedule for Relaxing Activities

Throughout the holiday season, you have the right to prioritize your own needs and wants. As you decide on how you want to spend your time, think about any traditions or activities that are deeply important to you. Maybe you want to go to a holiday pop-up bar in your city, walk around your neighborhood to see everyone’s decor, spend an afternoon ice skating, watch all of your favorite holiday movies, or get tickets to a seasonal ballet performance. Leave room in your schedule for the activities that you’re most interested in so that you have plenty to look forward to.

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The holiday season can be stressful, but when you get in touch with our anxiety therapists, we can help you navigate this busy time of year with ease.