Managing Holiday Stress
Landisville Family Health Center

The holiday season is a time of celebration with family and friends, but it can also be a time of loneliness and anxiety.

There are many factors leading to an increase in the “holiday blues,” including fatigue, family stress, unrealistic expectations, finances, and the inability to be with loved ones. We often feel overwhelmed by the many things about the holidays that we can’t control. It is often a time when we remember the losses in our lives, especially loved ones no longer with us. The additional demands of the holiday season (travel, entertaining, house guests) can also contribute to feelings of tension. Even people who do not become depressed during the holidays may have other stress-related symptoms, such as headache, over-eating, and insomnia.

Stress is caused by the body’s instinct to defend itself. It is a good thing in an emergency, but, if it goes on for a long period of time, it will lead to physical symptoms. Even “good” stress (a visit from a loved one, celebrations, extra preparations) is interpreted by your body in a very similar way as “bad” stress. It is a normal reaction for people of all ages.

Your stress may be hurting you if...

• You are feeling guilty, edgy, depressed or tired all the time
• You have headaches, stomach aches and trouble sleeping
• You find yourself crying for no reason
• You blame others for bad things that happen to you
• You only see the down side of a situation
• You feel that things you used to enjoy are now just a burden
• You resent your responsibilities or you resent other people

While you can’t control the things causing you stress, you can control how you react to them. Here are some practical tips for managing the stress of the holidays:

• Have reasonable expectations for the holiday season. Set reasonable goals, and pace yourself.
• Remember, it is a season of Thanksgiving and Good Tidings, not a single day.
• Volunteer to do something for someone else. Taking the focus off yourself and your problems is very liberating.
• Spend time with supportive and caring people. You want to be around folks who will build you up, not make you feel worse. Realize that you cannot make everyone happy all the time.
• Save time for yourself, instead of running from one activity to another.
• Don’t commit to things that you really don’t want to do. Those activities take energy from things that you truly do enjoy.
• Realize that excessive drinking will only make you feel worse.

If you feel like giving up, or are so down that you are having trouble functioning at home or at work, see your doctor right away. This is a potentially dangerous sign of serious illness, an illness which is completely treatable.