Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

Instead of joy, many of us feel other emotions during the November and December holidays, including stress, anxiety, and loneliness.

More than 40 percent of U.S. adults say their stress increases during the holiday season, according to a survey conducted for the American Psychological Association. The most common causes of holiday stress are:

• Spending too much or not having enough money
• Trying to find the right gifts
• Missing family or loved ones
• Having too much to do
• Feeling pressure to make the holidays special
• Food- or alcohol-related issues
• Family conflicts
• Feeling left out or excluded
• Traveling

About 38 percent of people who experience stress during the holidays reported turning to negative or harmful coping mechanisms, the survey found. Those include isolating themselves, overeating, and relying on substances such as alcohol.

To help you stay healthy this holiday season, we provide tips for managing stress at this time of year. We also discuss positive coping mechanisms that you can use to feel better.

Self-Care Tips

If you are like most people, there’s a lot happening in your life during the few weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or exhausted. One of the best coping mechanisms is to decompress and recharge. Here are a few suggestions for how to do that:

• Take stretch breaks. Stretching for 5 to 10 minutes each day helps get more blood and oxygen to your muscles and can help you relax. If you are new to stretching, there are many instructional YouTube videos or check out this guide to basic stretches.
• Reduce screen time. Put your phone down and instead go for a walk outside, read a book, listen to music, or work on a puzzle. What’s important is to disconnect for a while and relax.
• Plan ahead. Look at your schedule and set aside some downtime, when you can rest or do activities that are not related to the holidays, such as going for a hike. Planning ahead also helps when it comes to preparing for holiday get-togethers. Spreading preparation tasks like cooking and shopping out over several days (or weeks) helps prevent doing too much at the last-minute and reduces stress. Breaking chores into smaller segments can keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
• Give yourself permission to rest. Even when you schedule downtime, you can feel pressure to continue working through it. To avoid that, give yourself permission to rest. Remind yourself that taking the time to rest will help you perform better when you get back to work.
• Spend more time with your pets. Studies have shown that spending time with pets lowers stress, reduces blood pressure, and helps fight feelings of loneliness. During the hectic holidays, play with your pets more often. They’ll love it and you’ll benefit. Read more in our blog article about the health benefits of pets.
• Find some fun things to do. The saying “laughter is the best medicine” is no joke. Laughter stimulates blood circulation and helps relax your muscles, which reduces stress. Seek out opportunities for fun and laughter, such as watching a funny movie, going to a comedy club, or getting together with friends who make you laugh. You can also practice laughter yoga, which involves breathing techniques, clapping, and other exercises to promote deliberate laughter.
• Get a massage. The physical benefits of massage include improved circulation, greater flexibility, and less soreness. Mental benefits include lowering stress, increased relaxation, and improved mood. Booking some massage time during the holidays is a great way to pamper yourself and relax.    

Looking for more support to manage stress? Our Be Well Vermont wellness platform has several journeys to support you. Journeys are daily, self-guided courses to help you build healthy habits, and include Choose a New Mindset, Coping Under Pressure, Find your Focus, and Stress Less in No Time.

Protect Your Mental Health

A survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that more than half of the people with a diagnosed mental illness said the holidays can make their condition worse. Even people who don’t usually struggle with mental health can get the “holiday blues” — temporary depression or a feeling of loneliness.

During the holidays, it’s important to take steps to protect your mental health, including:

• Accept imperfection. Be realistic about what you can comfortably achieve and be willing to accept that. It may help to make a to-do list and then remove some items or tasks to give yourself some breathing room. Managing expectations about the holidays is an important coping mechanism.
• Determine what’s important to you. It’s easy to get swept up in all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but don’t lose sight of what’s most important to you. For example, spending time with family and friends. Focus on the important things and try to block out the “noise” in the background.
• Ask for and accept help. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with holiday preparations, it’s OK to ask family and friends for assistance. Allow yourself to accept their help without feeling guilty about it. Be sure to thank them for their kindness!
• Talk about your stress. Talking with other people about your holiday stress is a good coping mechanism, but only 41 percent of adults surveyed reported actually doing it. Reach out to trusted people in your life and discuss with them what you’re experiencing. Chances are they’re also dealing with holiday stress and may be able to give you some ideas for relief. You can also talk with mental health professionals, which Blue Cross Vermont members can access through several telemedicine platforms.
• Learn to say no. There are lots of invites to parties, dinners, and other events during the holidays. You don’t have to accept all of them. Learn how to politely say no, thanking the person for including you but gently declining the invitation. If you have another commitment, mention it. Respond to the invite as soon as possible — don’t leave the person who sent it wondering. If you want to connect with the person who invited you, offer to get together after the holidays.
• Focus on the future. About a third of people surveyed said one of the coping mechanisms they use is reminding themselves that the season will soon pass. If you find the holidays difficult, try focusing on the positive things you’ll be doing in the new year, such as planning a summer vacation.
• Volunteer to help others. You can feel less lonely during the holidays by volunteering. You can donate your time to organizations, such as churches, food shelves, or animal shelters. Or offer to help your neighbors and friends. A great way to start is contacting your local United Way, which works with many community organizations.
• Don’t drink too much. We said earlier in this article that relying on substances such as alcohol is one the negative coping mechanisms that people use. Alcohol is a depressant and can make the holiday blues even worse. Instead, choose festive non-alcoholic drinks or limit yourself to just one or two alcoholic drinks. You can also get a head start on Dry January.    

All of us at Blue Cross Vermont wish you the best during this holiday season. We hope the information in this article will help you have a more cheerful and less stressful season. For more tips about staying healthy during the holidays, check out this blog post.