Stress-Free Holiday Season

by Kylee Harris

For most of us, the holiday season can be one of the most stressful times of the year. For some, it’s the best time of the year! I’m here to tell you, it’s okay if this isn’t your favorite season. It’s okay if the holidays bring seasonal depression and social anxiety. I’m here to give you some tips to help you navigate stress management this year. 

 

One of my favorite tips for the holiday season is to bring a self-care essentials bag wherever you go. This can include: sensory tools, essential oils, or anything that you can use in a flash in a moment of panic or anxiety. If you’ve got your self care bag packed and you’re still feeling uneasy about whatever social situation you’re going into, try starting with making a pros and cons list about the event you’re attending. Your pros can be the positives and why you’re looking forward to attending, and the cons can be your anxieties and your concerns. After you make a pros and cons list, take all of your cons and separate them out and find solutions or management techniques for the way youre feeling.

 

Example: Going to Thanksgiving dinner with new people this year. 

“Pro: Meeting my sister’s new boyfriend this year at Thanksgiving!

Con: I’m nervous about meeting my sister’s boyfriend. What if he doesn’t like me? What if we have nothing to talk about and it’s awkward?”

 

Okay, so you’re worried about what your sister’s boyfriend might think of you or if it’s going to be awkward having him at Thanksgiving. Totally valid! To help ease some of that anxiety, let’s think about the possible outcomes for the scenario. Let’s take two positive outcomes and one negative and see where we can get.

 

-Pro: You get there, and you two get along great and have a wonderful time!

-Pro: You and your sister’s boyfriend have some of the same interests! Great! Now you can focus on your similarities being a topic of conversation. 

-Con: Your sister’s new boyfriend is acting awkward and shy and doesn’t talk to you.

Clearly, the first two examples of pros were best case scenarios. But what about that con? Is that heavily weighing on your head? Well, let’s break it down. 

Say, it does go south and your sister’s boyfriend is giving you an awkward feeling. You’re already stressed about attending your large family dinner, and now this?  What can you do? First, you can take a step back. Think about how he might be feeling meeting the family for the first time. He might be feeling just as nervous and awkward as you! Talk to your sister and ask her what his interests are, and try to strike up a conversation. If that’s too bold for you, instead of stressing about what he’s thinking and how it’s going, take a passive step back. It’s not your job to dictate how this is going to go. You’re allowed to take your space. None of this working? You’re having too much anxiety about the whole situation? Find a trusted adult that might be attending and talk to them about how you’re feeling. They may have some insight into how to overcome or manage how you’re feeling. Just because something feels awkward, doesn’t mean it is. Finding mini solutions or management techniques by doing a pros and cons list can be really helpful to navigate feeling out of control about possible outcomes. 

 

Seasonal Depression can hit you like a wave, and all at once, you’re feeling isolated, and small. When it hits in the winter, it can feel extra heavy considering the temperature and lack of sunlight. Nothing is going to be a quick fix, but there are a few things I recommend to get ahead of those feelings. I like to stay ahead by organizing my schedule. By having a predictable written out list of things I need to do helps me stay motivated. Something that really affects me personally is when the sun goes down at 3:30pm. For a lot of us, we go to work before the sun is completely out, and now come home when it’s set. During this peak season, I try to make sure lights in my house are on before it gets dark so that I don’t need to feel that dreadful sadness of “Oh it’s only 3:30pm but the sky says the day is over”. Having a well illuminated home can help battle that craving for sunlight, which is why Therapy Lamps are commonly used for Seasonal Depression. Recent studies have proven that Light Therapy Lamps have positively impacted those suffering from mental health symptoms especially seasonal depression. They are proven to boost serotonin levels, and increase mood. Some are also adjustable, color changing, and can be brightened or lowered depending on preference! 

 

Again, if you’re having a hard time getting ready for the holidays, it’s okay, that’s a lot of us right now.  Remember that you have the tools to help you! Finding techniques that work can be hard, but once you have those tools, you can bring your “toolbox” anywhere with you, and utilize your coping techniques for stress management. If you are really struggling, please find a trusted adult, and let them in on how you’re doing. Never suffer alone. This time of year is hard, but you’ll get through it!