How to Deal with Holiday Stress
Written By Jessica Eiseman, MS, LPC-S, NCC, CCTP
Every year I tell myself that I am not going to get stressed about the holidays, that I am just going to enjoy the time spent with family and the good food and nice weather! And then, every year it never fails that I get stressed any way. I start seeing Christmas decorations before Halloween and Fall decorations even before school starts. Before you know it I am knee deep in festivity and trying to figure out what to get my husband’s third cousin for the family party.
While you all might have more willpower luck sheer determination, I do not. I fall right into the holiday madness and my self-care gets lax. Luckily, people like Norine Vander Hooven, LCSW over at Psych Central have written some incredible tips to remind you to take better care of yourself during this time so you can be more like Santa, less like the Grinch. Some of my holiday stress reduction favorites she has are:
- make sure you are getting enough “me” time
- budget for what you can afford
- try to stick as much to your normal routine as you can
Sounds like good advice year round too! Something else worth mentioning is that the holidays can be really stressful, but they also can be a very lonely time for people. When dealing with others during this season, remember a lot of individuals are alone with no family. This feeling of loneliness can increase depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. So try to check in more with people you feel are at risk during this time and check out 10 Ways to Deal with the Holiday Blues by Lori Deschene.
If you are still feeling like you are having a difficult time, please reach out.
