It’s no secret that millions of Americans find the holiday season to be the most stressful time of the year. This year, adding in the additional weight of COVID-19, the impact can take a serious told on mental health.
According to a 2015 Healthline survey, 44% of people say that they are stressed during the holidays, with more than 18% reporting that they’re “very stressed.” While many respondents cited finances as the main culprit for their increased stress, other factors like choosing the right gifts, remaining healthy contributed to the participants holiday woes. The Harvard Business Review published Holidays Can Be Stressful. They Don’t Have to Stress Out Your Team. by Jennifer Moss, a workplace expert and award-winning author. What’s important to note with those statistics, is this article was written before the global pandemic – when the levels of stress have skyrocketed in 2020.
There are many studies around the affects of the holiday season, with deeper insight provided with Holiday Stress and the Brain on readying yourself to face these stresses. From scientific changes in your brain, to strategies to practice to combat anxiety, there is much to learn on how to manage the time as best you can.
While it’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, pressures can leave you feeling anything but jolly. The good news is, according to MetLife, there are steps you can take to manage stress around the holidays.
More ways to protect against stress this holiday season:
- Light therapy to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Taking control of your schedule
- Taking tome to prepare and practicing what to say to respond to topics that can lead to confrontation?
- Do something just for yourself
- Volunteer
No matter what efforts you make to get through this holiday season, remember there are numerous resources available to help, and the calendar will turn to 2021…very soon!