Today’s post is by Morgan Meyer, a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern at Counseling South Austin specializing in women’s issues, self-esteem, eating disorders, relational issues and depression. Contact her for a free thirty-minute consultation here.
‘Tis the season to be jolly, right?
Wrong.
We all like to think of the holidays as a time for cheer, but let’s face it – the holiday season can be very stressful!
I’ve compiled a list of holiday stressors along with ideas to push past the holiday insanity.
1. Loneliness and Grief
The holidays are known for time spent with those we love. However, for those of us dealing with loneliness, isolation, or grief, the holidays can be tough. Seeing those around us spending time with family and friends can be a reminder of what some of us don’t have.
Solution: Find other ways to get involved in your community to foster a sense of belonging. Try volunteering during the holiday season at soup kitchens, food pantries, or shelters.
While keeping yourself busy during the holiday season can help, it’s also important to know that it’s okay to be sad during the holidays. While society seems to shove the holiday spirit in our faces, if you’re dealing with bereavement, it simply won’t be a cheerful time. If you are spiritual, reflecting on religion during the holidays may help with feelings of sadness.
- Unrealistic Expectations
We all have ideas in our heads about what our holidays should look like.
Media, society, and our family traditions tell us what the holidays are supposed to be like, but for those of us struggling emotionally or financially, our holiday expectations may be unrealistic.
Solution: Let go of what should be and instead allow yourself to be open to new, less traditional experiences.
This holiday season may not look like it has in the past, and that’s okay. There’s no right way to celebrate the season.
- Holiday Eating
For those who struggle with eating, the holidays can be a difficult time. From Thanksgiving meals to holiday dinners and seasonal baking, food is everywhere.
Solution: The holidays are a time to celebrate, so try not to make rigid restrictions. At the same time, too much of anything is never good. Allow yourself to enjoy the treats of the season without overindulging to the point of no return.
- Holiday Spending
For most of us, the holiday season is the time we spend the most cash. Between gifts, dinners, parties, and decorations, the holidays are a very expensive time.
There’s a lot of pressure to make the holidays perfect for our loved ones, especially our children. When it comes to buying gifts for kids, the tech toys of today come with hefty price tags! Similarly, hosting the perfect holiday party can break your bank.
Solution: If money is tight, you can always begin to implement less expensive holiday traditions. If you have kids, talk to them about the real meaning of the holidays – giving.
Emphasizing philanthropy by collecting clothing or food for the less fortunate not only costs much less than the shiny gifts under your tree, but it feels much better too!
- Family Tension
Spending time with family can be difficult, even for those of us who have good family relationships. Seeing family members we don’t regularly spend time with can be opportunity for them to judge us on the way we live our lives.
When a family member isn’t happy with you, tension is sure to surface during the holidays, and holiday drinking can exacerbate this.
Solution: If you’re worried about your family getting along during this season, be sure to keep conversation light at your family parties by staying away from topics that can be divisive, such as politics or religion. You may also want to keep the holiday drinking to a minimum.
Similarly, family members always seem to be on their best behavior among newcomers. Bringing a friend to your holiday party may help to keep behaviors in line.
- New Year’s Resolutions
Every year the holiday season wraps up with New Year’s resolutions, which can be daunting and difficult to keep.
Choosing a New Year’s resolution, the pressure to meet your goal, or the disappointment that comes with a failed resolution can be too much to handle.
Solution: I’ve opted to skip out on New Year’s resolutions all together, and instead use the New Year to reflect on my accomplishments of the past year, be them small or large.
Sometimes just getting through a year is celebration in itself! If you are into setting resolutions, try choosing something small and obtainable. Small steps towards change are always more successful than large, overreaching goals.