Self-Soothing Techniques for Holiday Anxiety

If the approaching festive season fills you with anxiety, you’re not alone.

Almost everyone experiences elevated levels of stress and anxiety during the Christmas holidays.

Christmas lights, carols, holiday cheer, festive food and drink, and holiday decorations can mask seasonal anxiety, causing many people to struggle in silence during holidays.

This is more than the holiday blues. For some people, it can become full-blown emotional distress.

Learning and using evidence-based self-soothing techniques might help you get the most out of the Christmas season (and the opportunity to spend time with loved ones).

Why Do People Get Holiday Anxiety?

Holiday-related anxiety is complex and impacts almost everyone, regardless of age or financial status.

Higher-than-normal stress levels and other mental health issues can darken holiday parties, whether you're a young professional spending your first Christmas away from home, a parent trying to create special memories for your children, or someone dealing with loss or loneliness.

Increased stress, elevated emotions, and a general sense of unease throughout the holiday season are the hallmarks of holiday anxiety.

It could come from a variety of sources, such as:

• Spending time in close quarters with family can bring up difficult emotions, especially where there is past trauma.
• The financial burden of festivities and gift-giving may dampen the festive atmosphere.
• A rise in social anxiety at family get-togethers can take its toll as the days wear on.
• Travel anxiety and stress, both in the coming and going phases, can be difficult.
• Striving to create the "perfect" Christmas experience can be stressful and unrealistic.
• Reminiscences of previous holidays or departed loved ones can bring sadness.
• The pressure to uphold customs or establish new ones can be burdensome.

So, as stress hormones rise in the body, these stressors can combine to produce a perfect storm of anxiety, depression, and even low self-esteem, making what should be a happy time into a source of significant pain for many.

How Holiday Anxiety Can Trigger You

Holiday anxiety can show up in ways that aren't always linked to stress. Take a look at these less obvious effects:

Sensory overload: The holidays fill us with twinkling lights, festive music, and rich scents. This sensory overload can cause anxiety and overstimulation, especially for those with sensory processing sensitivities.

Decision fatigue: Deciding on gifts and menus during the holidays can be exhausting. Mental exhaustion can worsen anxiety and impair judgment.

Stress from nostalgia: Although comforting, nostalgia can set unrealistic expectations. Trying to recreate childhood memories or holiday ideals can cause disappointment and anxiety.

Anticipatory anxiety: Holiday preparations can be more stressful than the holidays themselves. This anticipatory anxiety can cloud the season, making it hard to enjoy the present.

Physical signs: Holiday anxiety can affect your body too. You may encounter sleep disturbances, muscle tension, bloating and digestive issues, and stress-related immune system dysfunction.

Post-holiday blues: Emotional whiplash from the holidays to everyday life can cause post-holiday anxiety or depression.

Recognizing these less obvious effects of holiday anxiety helps you develop more targeted mental health strategies during this difficult season.

Check out this video to learn more about the impact of anxiety!

Self-Soothing Techniques: What Are They?

When people are experiencing stress or anxiety, they can use self-soothing techniques to relax. In contrast to the fight-or-flight reaction often present in anxious individuals, these methods support the body's rest and digest mode.

Think of self-soothing skills as similar to building an internal sanctuary. It's a toolbox that lets you create a personal inner comfort zone no matter what happens outside you.

14 Self-Soothing Methods to Reduce Holiday Stress

1. Make a call to a trusted friend or family member: Calling someone other than your spouse might offer consolation and lessen reliance on one individual for emotional support and mental well-being while helping to manage holiday relationships.

2. Take part in distracting activities: To keep your mind busy, disrupt the holiday routine by doing something like cleaning your house, folding laundry, listening to a podcast, or dancing to your favorite music. Taking part in focused activities can assist in breaking the pattern of anxious thoughts arising from holiday events.

3. Develop healthy self-connection habits: Take part in hobbies like journaling, knitting, gardening, cooking, or meditation that give you a sense of purpose and self-connection. Emotional control is based on self-connection.

4. Create your own ideal evening: Arrange and carry out a fun night for yourself, which could be going on a date by yourself, having a movie night, having a friend over, or enjoying a bubble bath. This self-compassion routine strengthens your capacity to take care of yourself. A little bit of alone time can go a long way for stress management.

5. Practice somatic processing and deep, slow breathing: Breathing exercises can help you relax, particularly if you're feeling anxious or agitated. Making this connection with your body can help you focus on the here and now and divert your mind from negative feelings and anxiety about the future.

6. Examine the narrative you're using: Reflect upon any negative biases or presumptions that might be causing your fear. Ask yourself: "Is this thought helpful?" Is it founded on fears or facts? Negative thoughts lead to negative emotions in an endless loop until the pattern is interrupted.

7. Mindful meditation: Set aside some time each day to sit in silence and concentrate on the here and now. Increase the amount of time gradually, starting with just five minutes each day.

8. Progressive muscle relaxation: Paying attention to and activating a variety of muscle groups can promote deep relaxation and improve sleep quality.

9. Keep a gratitude journal: List three things for which you are thankful every day. This exercise might help you develop a more optimistic outlook by refocusing your attention from stress to gratitude. Having gratitude is a great way to combat anxiety and even transform relationships.

10. Sensory grounding: To keep oneself rooted in the here and now, use your five senses. For instance, concentrate on five visual components, four tactile components, three auditory components, two olfactory components, and one tasty component. Paying attention to bodily sensations is a great way to stay in the present moment.

11. Physical activity: To release endorphins during stressful times, maintain an exercise routine. Mental and physical health often go together, so make sure to get regular exercise. Get fresh air, even if it's cold outside!

12. Creative expression: Use artistic activities like crafts, coloring, or painting as a way to release your feelings. This can be cathartic and promote a relaxation response. Enjoy the process of creating rather than the final product.

13. Aromatherapy: Use calming scents like chamomile or lavender essential oil to create a relaxing environment. Consider using scented candles or essential oil diffusers that offer a calming effect. Scent has the potential to be a potent stress-reduction and mental health enhancer.

14. Visualization: Conjure images of a calm, secure environment. To construct a stress-relieving mental retreat, visualize it in detail using all of your senses. Regular practice will make this approach easy to recall in stressful situations. This is a great tool for improving emotional regulation.

Takeaways

• Self-soothing methods are useful strategies for reducing anxiety over the holiday season.
• Deep breathing, mindfulness, gratitude exercises, and physical activity are important tactics.
• Maintaining emotional well-being requires establishing boundaries and forming relationships with helpful individuals.
• Employing self-soothing strategies regularly can make the holiday season more relaxing and pleasurable.

Remember, self-care does not equate to selfishness. Being your best self for other people is vital, especially during this holidays.

But if you need help with dealing and managing holiday anxiety, take our Overcoming Anxiety for Peace of Mind course. It's the program that will help you manage anxiety this holiday season.

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