Holidays are portrayed on television and in the movies as ideal times when family and friends come together in a spirit of harmony and love. The celebration seems to come together effortlessly, and everyone gets along and has a wonderful time. Reality is far different. You work very hard to put on holiday get-togethers, and they are often ruined by old grievances or new arguments. This can make your anxiety level go sky-high without preventative measures.
Definition
Anxiety is common any time of the year because most people face scary, stressful or worrisome situations regularly. Anxiety is a mental and physical reaction that prepares you to face those things. Holiday anxiety can happen around any holiday that involves family gatherings, events and major preparation. It is most common between Thanksgiving and the New Year because that is the busiest holiday period for most people. Buying presents, planning parties, preparing to visit others and dealing with family and friends all combine to spur anxiety.
Causes
The Mayo Clinic cites several common holiday anxiety causes. Your finances may be strained by buying presents, planning dinners and traveling to visit family members and friends. Strained relationships can become worse because of the pressure to spend time with people you don't really like or to do things for which you don't have time or energy. This eventually puts physical stress on your body as you wear yourself out, which makes you more vulnerable to severe physical and mental anxiety effects.
Symptoms
Holiday anxiety has the same symptoms as anxiety caused by other triggers. Mentally, you feel frustrated and irritable and have concentration problems, the Help Guide explains. You may be consumed by worry. Physically, you feel on edge, with trembling hands, shortness of breath, a racing heart and a fluttery stomach.
Effects
Holiday anxiety symptoms often make the core problems worse. For example, you may further alienate relatives you already dislike because anxiety makes you irritable and argumentative with them. You may forget things while shopping because your concentration is bad and you're feeling overwhelmed. Worry may keep you from sleeping, causing you to feel fatigued during the day and making you even less capable of holiday preparations. Stress can lower your immunity and make you more prone to colds, flu and other illness, the Mayo Clinic advises.
Prevention
The Mayo Clinic recommends making your physical and mental health a priority during the holiday season. Prevent anxiety by limiting yourself to responsibilities that you can handle. Ask for help from other family members and draw boundaries on what you will do, Family Education advises. Make a realistic budget at the beginning of the season to head off financial pressure. Do not engage in disagreements with unpleasant family members, and say "no" when others try to talk you into taking on too much. Schedule time to recharge every day. Even 15 minutes of alone time can calm you down and clear your mind. Take a bath, read a book, listen to music, take a brief walk or just close your eyes and imagine being in a soothing place.
Warning
The Mayo Clinic warns that you may need professional help if you can't follow through with your self-help plan to handle holiday anxiety. It could develop into an emotional problem like generalized anxiety disorder or depression if you don't deal with it. Your family doctor, a psychiatrist or counseling can create a treatment plan of therapy, medication or both to get you through the holidays more calmly and comfortably.
