I love the holiday season (if you couldn’t tell, from all of my holiday-themed posts!), but with all of the joy, glitter, and fairy lights also comes a level of stress and pressure that’s unprecedented during the rest of the year. Even if you’re in a great place emotionally, financially, and mentally, the holiday season is bound to present some challenges that aren’t present during the rest of the year. And, if we’re honest, most of us aren’t in that perfect emotional / financial / mental place so, around the holidays, whatever troubles we’re currently facing are compounded by a number of factors:
- memories of past holidays (both good and bad),
- recollections of those no longer in our lives and a kind of re-mourning for them,
- increased financial expectations in the form of gifts and holiday-related obligations,
- stress related to trying to give (and hoping to receive) the perfect gifts, and
- societal pressure to suddenly have the most merry, festive, Instagrammable life ever.
Top all of that off with the end-of-the-year thoughts about what we did (or didn’t…) do over the past year and the looming expectations to make the coming year the “best year yet!,” and it’s no wonder most of us have trouble staying positive during the holidays! Even for the most positively present person, these additional stressors can cause a lot of emotional challenges, and they can be even harder to cope with when it seems as if everyone around us is embracing the holiday spirit.
The holidays can be — and often are — a really wonderful time of the year, but it’s important to recognize the level of additional stress and pressure they bring to our lives, and make sure we’re addressing it (rather than convincing ourselves that we should be enjoying every single moment). Here are some of the best ways to do just that.
- Take note of what’s working out. When it comes to the holidays, it’s tempting to think everything has to be just perfect. For some, there are annual traditions to adhere to. For others, holiday parties to look picture perfect for. And, as you’re probably well aware, life doesn’t always go according to plan. With so many expectations around the holiday season — buy the perfect gift! wear the most festive outfit! kiss your partner in the snow! wake up to a Lexus in your driveway! — some of them are bound to be unmet. And that’s okay. Instead of focusing on what didn’t go as planned, direct your attention to what is working. Maybe you weren’t able to afford a new, sparkly dress for a party, but you were able to get your nephew that hard-to-find gift he really wanted. During the holidays (and in general!), it helps to keep expectations low and to celebrate the things that are going right.
- Know you’re not alone in how you feel. The holidays — through advertising, celebrity culture, and social media — make us feel like we should be happy 24/7 all throughout the month of December, but it’s important to remember that what you see online (and even in real life) isn’t the whole story. All of us go through bouts of stress or loneliness or sadness or discontent at some point during the holiday season, and that is completely normal. We’re being sold picturesque images of the perfect holiday everywhere we look, and it’s no wonder that we sometimes feel disappointed that our lives don’t look like the ones we see online. Remember: not everyone is falling in love, unwrapping the most fabulous gift, surrounding themselves with laughing, happy friends, or joyfully riding in a horse-drawn sleigh.
- Make the holiday what you want it to be. Think, for a moment, about what a “perfect” holiday would look like. What you’re picturing is probably an amalgamation of images you’ve seen online, watched in films, or read in books sprinkled with a bit of your own unique holiday experiences. It’s important to remember that your holiday is yours. It doesn’t have to look like what you see everyone else doing. Most of us (myself included!) do what we’re expected to do around the holiday season because it’s what’s socially expected. But don’t forget that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. If you’re into the traditions, the events, the decking-of-the-halls, go for it. But don’t feel like you have to do all of the expected holiday things just because everyone else is doing them.
- Shift your focus away from consumerism. Gift-giving is one of my favorite things to do, and always has been. There are few things that thrill me more than finding the perfect gift for someone I love. But, in case you missed it, the holidays are extremely consumeristic. From the gifts to decorations to sparkly attire to hostess gifts to festive fare and more, there are so many things to purchase around this time of year, and, even if you’re super into it all, it can be a lot. One of the best ways to combat the consumerism is to make time to give back. Whether it’s a donation to a charity, time spent at a soup kitchen, or simply helping a neighbor hang lights, there are countless ways you can give back. Doing so will help remind you what the holiday season is supposed to be about: love, giving, kindness, and joy.
- Pay attention to what’s real. With the holiday season comes a great deal of fantasy — images of reindeer flying overhead, two people falling in love beneath the mistletoe, unwrapping an amazing gift, having the most fabulous time at a party are a few that come to mind — but it’s important to remember that, as magical as the season feels sometimes, we’re still living in real life. People are going to be imperfect; situations are going to be flawed. The more we focus on the fantasy, the harder it becomes to appreciate the little joys in reality. If you’re focusing on what things should be, you’re missing out on what they are, and that’s almost certain to cause discontentment. (Read more about this in Why You Need Lower Expectations.) When it comes to the holidays, expect less and you’ll enjoy so much more.
As wonderful and festive as this time of year is, it can also be such a challenge because most of us expect so much. We want every holiday to be the best ever, which is a lovely goal to have, but that goal can also cause a lot of distress (especially if it’s literally impossible, such as when you’re facing the first holiday after the loss of a loved one or if you’re going through a very difficult time emotionally). If you’re struggling, remember that you’re not alone. There are many, many people who are going through difficult situations and, while you cannot necessarily remove yourself from pain, here are some things I’ve written in the past that might help:
- How to Be Single During the Holidays
- 9 Ways to Cope with Loss During the Holidays
- How to Stay Positive When Holidays Are Hard
- 10 Ways to Keep the Happy in Your Holidays
- Escaping the (Holiday) Chaos : 5 Ways to Destress
- How to Stay Calm During the Holidays
- Festive Focus : 4 Ways to Stay Present
- How to Maximize Your Holiday Happiness
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