A recent study by the American Psychological Association determined that almost nine in ten adults in the United States experience stress during the holiday season. A variety of reasons were listed, including financial concerns and having additional work to complete, but 22% of respondents specifically reported that they had already experienced or anticipated upcoming conflict with their family.
This does not come as a surprise - between November and January, more than two dozen holidays are celebrated across the world, with many observers traveling or hosting family that is not commonly seen during the rest of the year. This mixed with other holiday stress is the perfect storm waiting to happen – not even mentioning the fact that 2024 is an election year.
The good news is that this is a stressor that has a defined end point: you will be able to take a deep breath once the holidays are over. But in the meantime, you are welcome to try any of the below coping tools to get you through this season:
Plan ahead.
Though the stress may be more intense than usual, at least it’s one that you are familiar with or have advance warning for. You (or the person you are attending the holiday gathering with) are familiar with the dynamics and know to look out for particular…characters. Making a game plan going into the experience can take the stress out of trying to figure out how you respond to or manage specific family members or behaviors.
Have consistency where you can.
Heavily changing routines can have a physical effect on our bodies. Where or how long you sleep may have changed or you might no longer be following your usual schedule. Relaxation should be capitalized on, but maintaining a consistent sleep/wake schedule and making time to move your body will be the building blocks to preventing additional stress.
Take a break.
If there is an opportunity to go on a walk or for a short drive to the coffeeshop, it might be good to take it. This will give you the opportunity to decompress, at least for a short time. If this is not a possibility, even just taking a few deep breaths in the bathroom can help regulate.
Speak with a therapist.
Compassionate Healing is happy to be of support to you in these coming months. Our providers are well equipped to help with both temporary and more chronic stressors - if you are interested in speaking with a member of our staff, please feel free to reach out.
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