Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays

As Christmas Day draws near, there are so many things to do and so many places to be. This can bring with it feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious. Sometimes coping with anxiety during the holidays can be difficult. How do we find ways to lower our anxiety and find peace and meaning during this busy time?

Having Anxiety is not Abnormal

We all deal with anxiety at one time or another. It can feel like having anxiety is abnormal, but that is truly not the case. Considering the pace of our lives and the acceptance of busyness as a lifestyle, anxiety is an epidemic in our society.

According to the Mental Health Commission approximately 11.75% of Canadians deal with anxiety disorders, that’s 4 million people. In the United States, according to the ADAA this number is even higher at 18.1% or 40 million people.

So how do we work to counteract anxiety? How do we find ways to slow things down so that we are not part of the statistic? How do we find ways of not just coping with anxiety during the holiday season but work to overcome it?

You are not Alone

You are not alone when you are having moments of anxiety. There are many people out there dealing with anxiety disorders. There are also millions of people that have moments of anxiety or have anxiety disorders that go undiagnosed.

Some people who will not understand it, but that’s OK. It’s realizing that you are having an anxious moment. Instead of making the anxiety worse by being critical of yourself, it’s choosing to accept and recognize that you are having a moment of anxiety.

You may not be able to control the fact that you are having an anxiety attack. But by realizing that you are anxious, it can help you find a way to move from anxiety to place of being calmness and being present in the situation.

Choosing to Simplify

So how do we prevent anxiety during the holiday season? One great way is choosing to simplify the holidays. It’s deciding on the things that are important to us in our holiday traditions and choose to make these a priority.

It is easy to feel that we need to do everything. From decorating, buying gifts, baking and cooking to other activities that are part of the holiday season. None of these things are bad for us to be part of. The question is do they bring joy to us and other around us? If not, especially if they are done out of obligation, this can trigger anxiety.

We need to choose to live a life of mindfulness. We must choose carefully so that there is joy in the holiday season instead of anxiety. Instead of living in a place of unrealistic and unmet expectations, we can enjoy the season for the beauty and peace it can bring.

By being purposeful and simplifying the holidays it can bring joy to the little things that we do. This can allow us to be more meaningful in our gift giving. Instead of always giving monetary gifts, it can be a gift of our time or strengthening a relationship. Not only can this bring connection, but can also combat feelings of anxiety. 

By choosing to take a step back, instead of being wrapped up in the anxiety and busy of the season, we can find real meaning in simplicity.

Managing Expectations

Managing expectations over the holiday season can be challenging. Whether these are our own expectations or the expectations of others, it is important to have good boundaries.

Regarding our own expectations, we need to have a healthy understanding of our limitations.  Understanding that expecting to have time to do everything that we have envisioned for the perfect Christmas may not be attainable. Without managing our own expectations, this can cause high levels of anxiety. 

We can choose the things that we consider important instead of running ourselves to the point of exhaustion, which can trigger anxiety. Accepting that this may mean other things that we really want to do might not be accomplished. It is also showing kindness to ourselves by accepting the fact that we can’t do it all.

This may mean that we will need to deal with others expectations. It might require having strong boundaries or having honest conversations before holiday events so that realistic expectations can be outlined. By being proactive, it can prevent hurt feelings, anxiety laden situations and awkwardness that may come with the holiday season.

Preventing Overwhelm

A strong trigger of anxiety can be feelings of being overwhelmed. This can be caused by having way too much to do and not enough time. It can also be caused by feelings of expectation from yourself or others. Overwhelm can also occur from too much outside stimuli.

Noise can be an environmental stressor, especially over the holiday season. Stores playing holiday music at high volumes, the constant roar of a mall, and the crush and noise of people can be a major trigger of anxiety. With the constant busyness and noise surrounding the holiday season, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed. The key is finding ways to manage the outside stimuli so that there can be rest from the auditory overload.   

Shopping at Odd Hours

One way to prevent overwhelm is by shopping at odd hours. This may mean shopping early in the morning or late at night. In Canada, some of the grocery stores have started offering sensory friendly shopping hours. This includes dimming lights, shutting off music and allowing customers to shop in quiet. There has been a lot of positive feedback from these programs. It allows those who struggle with anxiety or noise to be able to able to shop in a peaceful environment.

If you are not able to shop at odd hours, online shopping can also be an excellent way to prevent overwhelm. Not only can you shop from the comfort of your own home, is it a time saver and can help curb anxiety. 

Choosing Events Carefully

With situations like concerts, church services, and restaurants high levels of noise are part of the experience. Choosing what events you will attend carefully can go a long way in coping with anxiety. It is being aware of your anxiety level and deciding whether or not you can cope with the noise. It’s making a decision to perhaps say no to an event that would be fun for the sake of protecting your mental health.

Especially when going to concerts, I choose the acts I go see carefully and with awareness of the venue. I wear earplugs and make sure that I’m well rested before I go. This ensures that I have a fun night instead of anxiety inducing situation.

Sometimes you find overwhelm in unexpected places. For me, it’s attending church. I often consider church a place that should be quiet, a place of reflection and peace. Depending on the culture of the church, this is not always the case. It can be a very loud environment and can bring feelings of anxiety and be very overwhelming. As much as I enjoy attending church, depending on how I am feeling a particular day I sometimes choose to pull up a sermon online and play music on my guitar over attending church. The key is making choices that protect your physical and mental well being. By finding ways to reduce overwhelm, it can help us to be more present in our holiday celebrations.  

How About You?

How do you combat anxiety over the holiday season? What are some of the personal practices that you do that bring you peace over the holiday season? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can contact me directly or submit your comment below.