Managing mental health during the holidays is a priority, even though we expect this time to be fun and celebratory. As much as we all look forward to the festive season, it can also be stressful for many people. Financial pressure, overindulgence, and strained family relationships can all contribute to holiday stress.
Therefore, it’s helpful to be aware of some of the holiday stressors you might experience to help you prepare as much as possible for any upsets and to enjoy your time off as much as possible. In this post, we’ll discuss some factors that may affect your mental health during the holidays and share ways to cope better.
Causes of potential holiday stress
Understanding potential holiday stressors can help us better plan, set boundaries, and manage our expectations when balancing our own and others’ needs. Here are some potential stressors that might affect you this holiday season and some ideas for managing mental health.
Financial stress
While we might receive an end-of-year bonus, the end of the year can be highly stressful if you’re not feeling on top of your finances. Buying presents, hosting parties and feeling pressure to travel to see family and friends can create holiday stress. It can be challenging to manage social expectations, especially if you have friends and family who live far away.
To manage our money better during the silly season, we must budget for expected expenses, like gifts and travel. It’s also vital to plan how you would like to spend your money so you don’t spend too much and have to wait until the end of January for your next paycheck to pay off debt.
The festive season can also be a highly pressurised time for those who work in specific industries. While many people might be planning trips to the beach, people who work in emergency healthcare, for example, might experience a higher workload. People who work in hospitality and events might also need to juggle work and family demands.
Some ideas for managing financial pressure during the festive season include setting a budget and being realistic about which social events you can attend. To save money, consider doing Secret Santa—where you only have to buy one gift – or making a heartfelt DIY present.
Social pressure
Many people might look forward to abundant social obligations over the festive season. However, if you are struggling with your mental health, social anxiety can worsen your symptoms, so it’s critical to manage your own and others’ expectations. If you have strained relationships with your family, getting together for a family holiday can also be very emotionally taxing as you try to balance out spending time with loved ones and negotiating toxic relationship dynamics.
One way to manage all social obligations over the silly season is to be clear about your needs and expectations. Who is it vital for you to spend time with? You can schedule your holiday accordingly once you’ve prioritised who you want to be with. Of course, there may be friends and family you might not want to spend time with but feel you must. In this case, you can arrange a brief visit or meet in a public place for a limited time.
Of course, you can also say no to any social obligation you don’t want to participate in. Overstretching yourself can leave you feeling depleted, which can negatively affect your mental health. The potential for substance abuse is also high over the festive season, as people tend to relax and let their inhibitions go. Therefore, it’s essential to be aware of your consumption, as depressants like alcohol can worsen symptoms of depression or anxiety.
Emotional stress
We spend so much time looking forward to the holidays that we can pressure ourselves to always have the best time. However, feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or even sad and lonely during the holidays is normal. The holidays can bring up difficult emotions, especially if you are feeling isolated and grieving for loved ones who have passed away.
If you struggle with mental health challenges, the holidays can be a difficult time, so it’s essential to take care of yourself and seek support if you need to. As we’ve already discussed, it can be easy to overindulge during the holidays, making us feel worse. Although it’s tough to find a perfect balance, prioritising your wellbeing instead of trying to live up to anyone else’s expectations can help you manage your mental health.
It’s important to note that we are all exhausted at the end of the year. After months of working hard and negotiating the stressful realities of daily living, we need to take a break to recharge. Recharging is different for everyone. Some people like to rest and have some downtime. Others recharge by spending lots of time with others. Many enjoy a combination of both. Managing emotional stress during the holidays means finding out what recharges you and focusing on that.
Manage your mental health with SACAP Global courses
If you’re looking to find tools and proven strategies for managing mental health and holiday stress, you may be interested in the following online courses and workshops at SACAP Global:
- Enhancing Mental Health
- Managing and Preventing Anxiety
- Holistic Approach to Managing Depression
- Understanding Burnout Through the Lens of Compassion
- Introducing the EmotionAid Protocol
- Developing a Growth Mindset
To learn more about Applied Psychology and related topics, browse our course list.