Relationships December 23, 2016
Although the holiday season is often heralded as “the most wonderful time of the year,” it also offers plenty of reasons to feel stressed, overworked or anxious.
With commercialism and pressure running rampant during the holidays, stress can take on a new role in your life, especially for women.
The American Psychological Association reports that 44 percent of women report an increase of stress during the holidays versus 31 percent of men. “For women, stress may be a function of greater family responsibilities during the holidays,” the APA writes. “Women say they have a harder time relaxing during the holidays and are more likely to take on all of the tasks associated with family celebrations, such as shopping, cooking and cleaning.”
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Although these festivities can influence an increase of positive emotions such as happiness, connectedness and extra energy, they can also incite negative ones. Some of the most common negative holiday emotions include fatigue, stress, irritability, bloating and loneliness.
While people love the holidays and look forward to spending time with their friends and loved ones, they may need help decreasing the negative emotions associated with the holidays.
ENTITY has you covered this year. Here are five ways to help combat the holiday stress.
To take from one of Beyoncé’s most iconic lines of 2016: “Okay ladies now let’s get in formation.”
You don’t have to shoulder the responsibility of holiday planning yourself. Share the reigns with your friends and family by splitting up the tasks. For example, if you’re worried about cooking a big holiday feast, turn the party into a potluck. Have the attendees bring different types of food, both savory and sweet.
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Also, banding together to plan a party increases the amount of time you spend with your loved ones. It’ll be easier to get in the holiday spirit when you’re doing your errands with other people.
As much as you want to give presents to your loved ones to celebrate the holidays and to thank them for a great year, it can get stressful because your expenses start rising exponentially. One of the best ways to manage your money is by making a budget. “People often have a rough idea of the total amount they want to spend, but they don’t know the specifics,” Edward Jones financial adviser Margaret Yang tells Canadian Living.
Start off by allocating the amount of money you want to spend on Christmas presents. Then, divide and conquer. Mom gets $20, dad gets $20, sister gets $25… You could even lower these prices if you want. The most important thing to remember during this time of the year is the tried and true saying, “It’s the thought that counts.”
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Also, take advantage of hidden discounts online. For example, you can use the Amazon Discount Finder tool to help find some huge bargains. If you can’t find anything, you could always go the Do-it-Yourself route.
There is no doubt that the holiday season is jam packed with Secret Santa games, office parties and family gatherings. In order to decrease the amount of things on your plate, start by only planning parties you know you can handle. On the other hand, if you’re just an attendee and you’re worried about the exhaustion that comes with being present at every party, then remember that it’s okay to say “no.”
Choose your parties wisely, Psychology Today suggests. You shouldn’t spend your time at a party with people whose company you don’t enjoy, especially when you could be home with your family. Spending time around people you care for during the holidays can decrease the loneliness that sometimes comes with the holidays.
Not only that, but saying no to parties also helps you save money. With one less Christmas exchange to participate in, the money you have available for your holiday budget increases.
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Don’t worry about how things “should” be during the holidays. “There’s a lot of cultural pressure during the holidays,” Ken Duckworth, MD, medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, tells WebMD. “We tend to compare ourselves with these idealized notions of perfect families and perfect holidays.”
This kind of comparison can greatly affect how you experience the holidays. Family reunions can sometimes be tense, holiday gatherings can get hectic and the turkey served for dinner can be dry. So, Duckworth says to challenge some of your assumptions for the holidays. It’s okay if things don’t turn out perfectly.
Sometimes last-minute shopping is necessary and you can’t travel home until the night before Christmas. As Psychology Today points out, a lot of the stress that comes with the holidays stems from the large crowds, the traffic and the long lines at department stores. Even if you try to avoid this by shopping online or planning ahead, sometimes you’re unsuccessful.
So what do you do? Make the most out of your situation. Instead of being angry, try humor, kindness or mindfulness, says Pamela Wiegartz, the director of CBT Services and Training in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
If you’re stuck in traffic or in a long line, use that time waiting to catch up with an old friend. If you’re getting frustrated with the crowds, just take a step back to notice the beauty of your surroundings.
Overall, it’s important to take deep breaths and moments to relax. Remember that these problems are only temporary inconveniences of the holiday season.
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