’Tis The Season To Be Jolly — Dealing With Holiday Stress
While Christmas is known as ‘the season to be jolly’, it can also be exceptionally stressful for many of us.
The pressure to attend multiple parties at work and with friends (and excessive eating and drinking inevitably linked with those), financial strain associated with buying christmas gifts and covering travel costs to visit our beloved ones, lack of time, or even rekindling familial connections we’d rather stay away from, are only a few of the reasons why many of us are, in fact, secretly dreading Christmas — at least partly.
We often might be tempted to shrug the holiday pressure off and simply carry on until it’s all over — at the end of the day, who’s got the time to think about the gym when the list of things to do seems endless?
The available research on the topic, however, suggests that the ‘Christmas struggle’ can significantly impact on our health and wellbeing, and that we might be better advised to address the issue head-on.
A 2015 Healthline survey found that 62% of respondents report strong-to-medium levels of stress during the Christmas season, with only 10% reporting no stress.
Dr Ellen Braaten, an HMS associate professor of psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital, warns that being forced to keep track of and pay attention to a greater number of responsibilities than usual, puts our brains under stress, making the prefrontal cortex go into overdrive. This, in turn, can decrease memory, halt production of new brain cells, and cause existing brain cells to die.
But the implications of holiday stress aren’t only mental, affecting our physical health as well; an American study reports an increase in the occurrence of heart attacks and heart-related deaths during the festive season, which may be due to stress, heavy alcohol consumption, a fatty diet, or all of the above.
Now, the aforementioned data isn’t there to scare you, but rather highlight the importance of being proactive about stress management during this otherwise joyful time of the year. We believe that with some simple, minor tweaks, we can all minimise stressful experiences and more fully enjoy the company of our beloved ones, indulge in delicious food and drinks, and feel merry in the lead-up to and during Christmas.
Plan.
Most of us tend to get extremely busy during the holiday season, which — if not managed wisely — can make us feel overwhelmed and unnecessarily stressed out. Putting all your social commitments and ‘things to do’ in the diary, whilst allowing some time for rest and relaxation, will give you a sense of control and will inevitably force you to prioritise the events you really want/need to attend and say ‘no’ to those you are not.
The lead-up to Christmas might often feel like a marathon. In order to finish the race, you have to rest between training sessions .
Planning also includes setting up a budget for all your Christmas spending. Start with accounting for all your usual expenses, and then specify the amount you’d be comfortable spending on all holiday-related expenses.
Maximise your chances of ‘sticking’ to the budget by setting aside plenty of time for shopping — buying ‘in bulk’ and at the very last moment is not only stressful (we’ve all been there, wondering if our Amazon parcels arrive on time…), but can also deplete your willpower, increasing risk of overspending. Train and plane tickets also get significantly more expensive the closer you get to Christmas — making your travel arrangements well ahead of the time will help you further curb your spending.
Manage your expectations.
A common saying has it that, ‘happiness equals reality minus expectations’.
This does not mean that you shouldn’t look forward to all the wonderful events with your coworkers, family, and friends — we simply advise you to manage your expectations and be realistic.
No event ever goes 100% smoothly, and this also applies to holiday celebrations. Rather than allowing small mishaps to overwhelm you, see them as an opportunity to exercise your flexibility and resilience.
You might also set a more constructive intention for the festive season — to reconnect with your loved ones, for instance. Make sure that it’s true to you and reflective of what you really care about.
Bearing ‘your intention’ in mind will allow you to take a step back when a recipe you’ve been trying to master doesn’t go quite according to plan, your friend doesn’t appreciate your gift as much as you hoped, or your pet knocks the christmas tree down. These seemingly overwhelming events can be viewed with a pinch of salt and a smile on your face — and they will inevitably create fond memories to laugh at in the future.
Balance.
No other time in the year calls for the so-called ‘golden middle’ more than Christmas.
We won’t tell you to stay away from all the treats and delicious meals you’re likely to be presented with in the next few weeks — at the end of the day, they are a big part of why we love Christmas so much.
Even a day or two of utter overindulgence are unlikely to affect you in the long run. Simply make sure to maintain a healthy diet otherwise and be treat-wise by controlling portion sizes.
Although sticking to your usual gym routine might be difficult amidst all the other commitments, trying to implement some exercise here and there is not only going to help you relieve stress, but will also serve as a nurturing balancing act to over-feasting.
Ice-skating, walks around the park, or visits to Christmas markets will not only provide you with a healthy dose of movement, but can also be a wonderful opportunity to get others moving as well — and, as research shows, exercising with others multiplies the usual psychological benefits of physical activity.
Lastly, don’t try to carry the world on your shoulders by trying to accomplish everything by yourself. Involve others in helping you tick some of the tasks off your list, and take some time to recharge you batteries, by listening to music (Spotify has many Christmas playlists to offer), reading a book (A Christmas Carol is likely to remind you about the true spirit of the season), watching a Christmas movie (preferably with your loved ones), or… going for a massage.
Lastly, don’t forget to have fun. Laughter goes a long way in the fight against stress — a healthy dose of holiday giggles will lighten your mood, release endorphins (so-called ‘happiness hormones’), simulate your heart and lungs, boost circulation, relax your muscles, and lessen physical symptoms associated with stress.
If you have kids in your family, make sure to spend some time with them — children are real masters of laughter and can find a positive way of looking at things even in the most stressful circumstances. Research shows that while 4-year-olds laugh about 300 times a day, an average 40-year-old laughs only 4 times a day!
Take some inspiration from children and find positive, laugh-ful ways of managing stress — watch funny Christmas movies, joke at the dinner table, sing along to your favourite holiday hits, and fill your evenings with fun activities.
At the end of the day, ’tis the season to be jolly! On that note, we wish you and your beloved ones a very Merry Christmas!
How to deal with stress is a publication packed with tips and techniques for dealing with stress and anxiety in everyday settings — brought to you by Agnieszka (Aggie) Zbieranska & Leon Taylor.
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