Written by Jennifer Cox LCPC
In recent research, 62% of respondents described their stress level as “very or somewhat” elevated during the holidays.
Among the holiday stressors listed by respondents were the financial demands of the season, negotiating the interpersonal dynamics of family, and maintaining personal health habits such as an exercise, diet, sleep, hobbies, etc.
A lot of executive functioning occurs during the holiday season since we keep track of and pay attention to a greater number of responsibilities. This involves skills such as time management, being attentive, switching focus, planning, organizing, and remembering details.
We are shifting cognitive strategies to respond to the changes in our environment so one must have the cognitive flexibility to shift attention between one task and another especially days before, during, and after holiday gatherings with family and friends.
People who feel stressed during the holidays might want to evaluate:
-How they spend their time – Making sure they are scheduling time for themselves
-Their own needs – Set boundaries
-How they are managing their time, give buffers before and after tasks, events, etc to not over book yourself
-Expectations during the holiday season, try to be realistic
-Self Care – relax, sleep, exercise, and maintain heathy diet between events
-What they want the holidays to mean to them
https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/holiday-stress-brain
