How stress can show up during the holidays
Stress can show up in different ways. In the short term, it might feel like tension, feeling irritable worry or dread.
Over time, it can affect your mental health and make existing conditions harder to manage. Physical symptoms like headaches, poor sleep, and fatigue are common too.
Why Christmas and New Year can feel extra hard
The holidays can bring extra stress from money worries, juggling work, family and social events, and navigating tricky relationships or family conflicts.
There’s the gift shopping, work deadlines, school events, family catchups, planning meals, organising travel, and getting ready for New Year’s – it can feel like a lot. This time of year can also bring challenges like family tensions, money worries, social expectations, hosting duties, alcohol, and travel.
Feeling like you have to say yes to everything can be tiring. The pressure to live up to other people’s experiences, especially on social media, and reflecting on the year that’s passed can also add pressure on your mental wellbeing.
What if the stress doesn’t go away after Christmas?
Festive season stress usually passes once the season is over and you’ve had a chance to rest and recover. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, low in mood, or just not feeling yourself for more than a couple of weeks, we suggest you chat with your GP or contact Beyond Blue.
You could also try the K10 anxiety and depression test. It’s a series of 10 questions that you can do online and will point you in the right direction for support.
Let’s take a closer look at what can make Christmas tricky
Start off the season with a wellbeing plan
Coping with festive stress can be easier if you continue to do the small but meaningful actions that work for your wellbeing, like listening to your favourite songs or going for walks during the week.
If you’d like help putting this into practice, take a look at our Wellbeing Action Tool.
The impacts of festive stess
The stress that comes from these events and situations can affect people in different ways. It can range from a tough week leading up to Christmas Day or extend through the holidays.
In the short term, end-of-year can bring up feelings of worry, anxiety, anticipation, and dread – all of which can impact, cause, or exacerbate stress.
In the long term, it can impact general mental health and wellbeing, and make those condition harder to manage.
People may experience physical symptoms, too. For example, the stress caused by events over the festive season can manifest as headaches, insomnia, and fatigue.
How to manage festive stress leading up to (and during) the end of year
If the end of year is causing increased stress and worry, and negatively impacting your mental health, some of the following tips may help.
Try practicing mindfulness or relaxation techniques, such as meditation or breathing exercises. You can do these when you’re stressed or in preparation for feeling stressed.
Schedule in ‘self-care’. Time alone matters. You can exercise, read, watch TV, or simply unwind doing nothing – whatever recharges your batteries.
Simplify your to-do list. Being with loved ones is more important than rushing around to buy the most expensive presents or organising back-to-back activities.
Remember what’s meaningful to you and focus on gratitude. Take a moment to be thankful for what you do have – not what you don’t have.
Find support for a calmer Christmas
Speak to someone at Lifeline immediately
Contact our Beyond Blue counsellors
Call us on 1300 22 4636 or chat online with a counsellor.
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