How to Help Get Rid of Holiday Anxiety

It can be hard to expect ourselves to act super-happy at the holidays.

The holidays are a great time to kick back, reunite with family, and hang out with friends. However, along with all the fun, the holidays can be an anxious time for many people. Because of the social nature of the holidays, if you have depression it can often feel tiring to act happy all the time around family. If you have anxiety, it can be difficult to be in long social situations day after day and find alone time to recharge.

We’re bound to feel some of that holiday nervousness, but there are resources and support available to those of us who would like to alleviate at least some of our holiday anxiety. Here are three situations that you may relate to in feeling nervousness towards the season.

Are you nervous about meeting your significant other’s family over the holiday break?

Check out this article I found on a website called The Date Report, which gives great advice on meeting your partner’s parents. Two tips: bring a small gift along, and help with cleanup.

Are you working a majority of your holiday break?

Lots of us need to earn money during the holidays, so we may feel like we don’t totally get to unwind. Believe it or not, there are actually benefits to working during the holidays, like opportunities for getting paid more and having something productive to delve into during break. Forbes has an interesting article about the benefits of working during the holidays.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by depression or anxiety during this season, and do not know why?

This article on MedicineNet offers diverse scientific explanations for holiday/winter blues, including less exposure to sunlight and financial struggles. If you can’t pinpoint what has you feeling blue, check out the article—it has a long list of possible reasons and provides some solutions.

I know for me, reading articles really helps in times of stress. It is therapeutic to read accounts of other people going through the same thing and reminds me that I am not alone. I hope that some of these articles and situations can help you feel the same!

Do you have any articles you have read this holiday season that you have found particularly helpful in negotiating your anxiety or depression? Please share below!