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A Guide to Coping with Holiday Anxiety and Stress


Often, the holiday season is associated with joy, celebration, and togetherness. But for many, the holidays may bring the unwanted gift of increased stress and anxiety. If that resonates with you, please know that you’re not alone, and it’s great that you’re seeking guidance and support.


That said, read on for a guide to coping with holiday anxiety and stress, including explanations plus actionable, solution-focused steps. Stick around until the end to see how counseling for anxiety and stress can play a role in feeling more empowered during the holidays and throughout the year.


A group of people with champagne glasses and sparklers wearing Santa hats.


Understanding Stress and Anxiety


First, read how Atlantic Counseling for Empowerment (ACE) defines anxiety and stress, taken from our comprehensive services page.


Anxiety disorders are characterized by worried, fearful thoughts, and tense feelings. Anxiety differs from normal fear because anxiety revolves around a future response to a threat.


Everyone experiences stress - yet stress can become unhealthy when it interrupts your behavior, feelings, and functioning. When stress starts to take a toll on your mind and body, it can contribute to psychological and physiological disorders.


What Can Cause Stress and Anxiety During the Holidays?


Anxiety and stress can arise during the holiday season as a result of the following:


  • Pressure of perfectionism

  • Meeting expectations of family and friends

  • Managing finances in purchasing food, gifts, decor, etc.

  • Navigating family dynamics

  • Juggling multiple commitments

  • Triggering situations from past holiday season


A woman in a red sweater pinching the bridge of her nose while holding Christmas items.


Steps to Coping with Holiday Anxiety and Stress


By understanding the challenges that come with the holiday season, you can then begin to employ solution-focused coping strategies.


Acknowledge How You’re Feeling


Take a moment to acknowledge anxious or stress-inducing thoughts and feelings, and observe them without judgment or reaction. Acknowledging your feelings is the first step toward managing holiday-related anxieties or stressors.


You may also acknowledge changes in your behavior. Some signs of anxiety and stress include irritability, changes in sleep or appetite, or persistent tension or worry.


Set Healthy Boundaries


Overcommitment can often lead to more stress. Setting healthy boundaries honors and respects your needs. Boundaries can be emotional, physical, or even digital. It means being able to say no and accepting when someone else says no.


Example: Feeling empowered to drive your own car to a holiday party so you can arrive and depart according to your schedule.


Practice Mindfulness


Mindfulness is the ability to be “fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” By engaging in mindfulness, we can look inward and ground ourselves.


Exercises that promote mindfulness include deep breathing, meditation, and yoga. Read more about how you can incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life.


Maintain Healthy Habits


Getting caught up in anxiety and stress may lead to neglecting your health. Your wellness matters, even during the holidays.


There is a connection between both physical and mental well-being. Both facets contribute to establishing and maintaining personal goals that lead to a healthier lifestyle.


Stick to a regular sleep schedule, eat nutritious meals, exercise regularly, and limit your alcohol intake.


How Counseling Can Help Holiday Anxiety & Stress


Anxiety can be daunting to confront, but you don’t have to face it alone. Counseling can identify the underlying causes of anxiety, and teach ways to develop coping mechanisms and skills to develop new perspectives.


Therapy provides a space for you and a professional to talk out what’s making you stressed, and single out top stressors to address and mitigate with coping mechanisms and self-care activities.


Feel Empowered Going Into the Holidays with ACE


ACE provides evidence-based mental health counseling to help you navigate through the challenges of not just the holidays, but every day.


Contact Dr. Lipp to start anxiety and stress management counseling in Boca Raton or online via telehealth. Let’s make this holiday season about empowerment, resilience, and self-care.


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