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5 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress


Disclaimer: This educational content may be used for general self-improvement purposes but does not replace medical advice or treatment from your healthcare providers.

Trying new skills can have risks and benefits; this information may not be suitable for everyone.

If you have any concerns or notice changes regarding your personal health always consult with your own healthcare provider(s).

I am a therapist by training and share mental health information but I am not your therapist (unless we have both signed a service contract and a bunch of other paperwork).


5 Tips to Manage Stress During the Holidays

Stress here, stress there, stress everywhere!

‘Tis the season for hosting a gathering, family talking about the political landscape, end-of-the-semester cramming, fielding unsolicited comments about your body, traveling, planning gifts, catching a cold, flu, or COVID; the holiday season is a trial for stress management.

napkin with tag thankful on plate tips to manage holiday stress from therapist

Common Signs of Stress

Signs that stress is impacting one’s mental health may look like:

  • Difficulty with sleep, sleeping too much or too little
  • Increase in irritability, or symptoms of anxiety or depression
  • Poor emotion regulation
  • Spending more time doom-scrolling rather than mindful-existing
  • Feeling overwhelmed, like you “can’t catch a break”

Stress can be managed by engaging consistent long-term habits and short-term skills during acute stressors.

It’s best to integrate consistent, routine (long-term) stress prevention strategies and immediate, fast acting (short-term) stress relieving activities.

Incorporating routine habits such as exercise, maintaining a restful sleep experience, and maintaining healthy relationships promote well-being (Habits that Improve Well-Being).

Long-Term Stress Prevention Habits

  • Achieve consistent restful sleep

The Connection Between Sleep and Mental Health 

  • Have a healthy relationship with food and your body
  • Notice and savor moments of gratitude often
  • Spend time outdoors 
  • Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine
  • Engage in meaningful relationships

Short-Term Stress Coping Skills

  • Go for a walk outdoors
  • Journal your thoughts or feelings
  • Listen to a 10-minute guided meditation
  • Dance along to a song that makes you happy
  • Recreate a childhood recipe
  • Spend time with a pet
  • Yell into a pillow

Maintaining stress management skills and well-being takes effort each day. Some days are easier than others, some days you may do more than others and that is okay.

If you only have 60% to give and you gave it your all, you gave 100%.

white hands holding a red cut out valentine sitting on the grass with rose petals tips to manage holiday stress from therapist

Below are additional tips to manage stress throughout the holiday season.

5 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress

1. Practice self-compassion

You know when plants grow and receive kind words from people they grow stronger and productively?

That works on humans, too!

Culturally the US values self-criticism, women being especially encouraged to develop such a trait.

Self-criticism does not promote insight or learning from past mistakes and how to grow as a person; it is the practice of self-punishment and self-blame.

While this is a topic that can take several weeks/months of exploration through psychotherapy and personal reflection, the goal is to replace self-criticism with self-compassion.

Increasing self-compassion can begin by adding self-affirmations to your day-to-day life such as,

“I am enough, I am worthy of love and kindness”

“It is okay to make mistakes, I am still learning”

Read more about self-compassion here.

2. Connect with friends

Maintaining healthy and meaningful relationships is a key to healthy aging and promoting positive mental health.

Having close friends with whom you can vent to, share, help, support, receive support from, is a necessary component for well-being.

This might look like calling up a relative, facetiming a friend, sending a meme, expressing appreciation to a partner, or writing a letter as ways to connect with social relationships.

white hand holding a pen over stationary on a desk tips to manage holiday stress

3. Start that new project or hobby you have contemplated for months/years

Spend time with yourself prioritizing your well-being, goals, desires, and uniqueness!

If it truly is too chaotic to start a new endeavor, develop a plan that will work for you when time allows.

Try considering reasons why your plan may not be successful and develop a solution. Ask, “Why won’t this idea work?”

Set realistic, reasonable, achievable goals. And be proud of your efforts!

4. Seek help from a mental health professional

On average, people take about 2 years of contemplating to begin therapy.

Starting therapy can be scary, hard, and confusing; those feelings are common.

Therapists are trained to help people identify strengths and growth edges to promote well-being and encourage psychological resilience. This often looks like processing events in a new way, reflecting on personal values, exploring new coping skills, and learning new ways to better understand and relate to your unique experiences.

5. Change what you can control and don’t try to control what you cannot change

When stressed about a relationship or situation you cannot change or control, all one can do is change how you relate to dealing with it.

Accept what aspects of a situation or relationship you can and cannot change.

Show up for yourself when you long for something (or someone) you do not have; care for yourself by practicing any of the suggestions on this page.

When you notice difficulty letting go or accepting what is, observe that feeling and sit with it. It’s okay and normal.

Then practice an activity that makes you feel better. Focus on changing that other part of your life instead (we all have those parts waiting in line to get tuned up next).


About the Author

Nicole, a white woman with short brown hair smiling gently at the camera. Nicole is wearing a button down chambray shirt and gray/blue cardigan indoors against a blue background.Hello! My name is Nicole Zegiestowsky (she/her) and I am a pre-licensed online therapist in Alaska

I graduated with my Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the University of Alaska, Anchorage and provide individual and group therapy services to LGBTQ+ adults and perinatal/postpartum populations.

Learn more about my virtual therapy practice here.