Though Christmas is usually a great time, full of family celebrations and fun, feeling stressed at Christmas is totally normal. Whether worrying about buying gifts or about having to host all your family, the demands of Christmas can definitely cause holiday stress.
As well as going into detail on what causes holiday stress so that you can prevent it, we’ve compiled a list of tips for how you can stop stressing at Christmas.
What causes holiday stress?
Of course, the causes of holiday stress will differ amongst individuals and their specific life circumstances. As a rule, though, the causes of holiday stress can be narrowed down to three main categories:
- Anxiety. Many people can find organizing everything stressful at Christmas time.
- Overwhelm. A lot goes on in the holiday season!
- Expectations. The holidays are a time of high expectations. People who are alone or otherwise struggling can find that the reality doesn’t match up to the idea of Christmas.
How can I stop stressing at Christmas?
If you’re looking for Christmas stress relief, there are 5 main things to focus on.
- Ensure that you keep on track with your healthy habits. Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean that you should stop doing the things that help your mental health year round. Keep exercising, doing yoga and meditating if that helps you!
- Remember to say no. At Christmas it can feel difficult to say no to things because you want everyone to have a good time. From hosting family to cooking dinner, it’s important that you keep boundaries in place to protect your own stress levels.
- Take breaks. As the festivities continue, remember that it’s ok to take breaks to do some breathing or just be with yourself for a while.
- Acknowledge your feelings. Christmas stress is made worse by the fact that it is hard to acknowledge feeling bad at what is meant to be such a good time. Acknowledging your feelings and reaching out to a friend or family member makes them much easier to manage!
- Seek professional help if needed! Don’t forget that you can always access professional mental health services online if you need.
We hope that this list helps and that you enjoy a stress-free Christmas!
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