Holiday Stress
The whirlwind of it all; you know, the holidays. Personally, I love this time of year, but I would be crazy not to admit that it can become very consuming. For 8 weeks starting in November, it’s “Go Time.” The chaos begins: work heats up because either your fiscal year ends in December and the books must be closed, which has everyone in the office in a frantic mode of chasing down receipts, writing travel and expense reports, completing employee evaluations for what hopefully are employee raises, or wait for it—bracing for layoffs because the leadership needs to tighten the belt and close the year showing expense reduction. Unfortunately, staffers tend to make up the majority of the expense line.
If that’s the negative, let’s flip to the positive at work. Planning or attending office parties, gift exchanges among your department or outings hosted by your boss as a thank you add more to your plate than just going to work and doing what you’ve done all year. Sleep? Forget about it! 75% of adults are sleep deprived in this country and I’ll bet that number increases during the holidays.
If you are thinking about your personal situation, you probably can tack on kids’ holiday recitals (which you may have to leave the office earlier to catch), hosting family or friends, church events, or simply just shopping. It’s A LOT.
Many people also don’t like this time of year because it can remind them of a low moment in their life or some huge loss— the death of a loved one, divorce, or having to uproot themselves or family from that home they loved. Let’s face it, the holidays can lead to depression and stress and for those many Americans around the country
who would prefer to zip through November and December and just get January on the books, it’s difficult.
There are too many stories to recount and statistics to illustrate the point, but to go a bit deeper, many more emotions are revealed during this 8-week period than the entire year. I’ve picked a few of the stressors that have plagued me in the past along with some tips I’ve learned to overcome them. The goal is to acknowledge what the stressors are and implement intentional behaviors to keep them in check so they don’t lead to ongoing depression and other illnesses.
Financial—Money is the root cause of so many stressors, but particularly during the holidays. The need to buy gifts can sometimes overtake your wallet. The key here is to make a list of who you’d like to buy presents for and stick to it. Give your- self a budget. If possible, create a savings account in the beginning of the year and add money to it monthly to give yourself a nice amount to shop with. It is so very important to NOT shop with plastic or impulse shop. As the saying goes, if you can’t afford, don’t get it—even if it’s for someone else.
Anxiety—Becoming a worrywart isn’t healthy. As my parents used to tell me, “what you can’t control, don’t sweat it.” While that end of year review is looming or you have to prepare your house for those five family members coming, take your time and schedule out your tasks. What’s the first step? Being clear on tasks that are driving anxiety levels vs. unknown actions taken by others or events that may impact you driving that feeling. Move into the drivers seat and tackle it head on. Plug in even the smallest activity on your calendar with reminders. If you act alone like Superman or Superwoman, this may be a good time to delegate, if possible, or ask your inner circle or family for help. Move some tasks to another day or another person if you can. What I know for sure? The task list tends to expand during the holidays and
not contract. Another tip. Don’t pile up one day so you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off—spread out your tasks and even out your days and weeks. Those projects at work that spill into the night and sometimes weekends? Look hard at the expectations and deadlines. Where possible, shift what can move based on dependencies.
Lack of Sleep—Burning the candle on both ends (long hours getting projects out, holiday events and parties, shopping, wrapping gifts, etc.) usually shows its affects on your inability to get proper sleep. Our bodies are machines. They need to hum, and in order to do that, we need to feed it well and rest it! Yeah, yeah, most Ameri- cans sleep less than 6 hours nightly. The problem then becomes focus and energy. You know, those projects we talked about earlier? Not getting 8 hours in nightly rest can be the catalyst for mood swings and lowered attention to detail. There’s nothing worse than having stress over completing something and having to do it all over because you missed something. Not fun. Unfortunately, many believe they can drink one of those over the counter drinks to get the energy they’ve lost, but the reality is you will crash when it wears off. I always recommend natural solutions. But in the end, wrap your day up early enough to get in your 8 hours. Quiet your environment at least 30 minutes before bedtime and turn your phone on vibrate.
Loss of a loved one—Every time this one comes up, it’s hard to begin providing a solution. When you lose a loved one, the journey of healing is very personal and there is no timeline. The holidays can be reminders of those great memories, which can give you serious holiday blues. The best advice here is to be around people. Try not to be alone and allow others to help you. Remember those good times, but also to look ahead. Time does heal. It’s always great to talk to a professional.
Self-Assessments/Resolutions—As the year winds down, it’s easy to think about the personal and professional scorecard. Still single? Didn’t get that promotion? Aren’t making the income you thought you would this year? Still no kids? All of these reasons and more can lead to the holiday blues. With the help of marketing and social media, it’s easy to get caught up in what others are doing. The family pictures, beautiful vacations, you know the ones. While it’s easy to compare yourself to others, don’t. Your journey is your journey. And, by the way, we all know that social media can depict online stories of marital bliss, or that new purchase with the bonus check, when in fact, it may not be the case.
Self-assessments are good, but remember to balance your scorecard. Pull out the pen and paper and create your list of good and improvements for the year. What are you most proud of? What milestones did you reach at work? What awards did you receive? Think of the positive and write them down. Before you know it, that feeling of incompleteness may turn out to illustrate quite the opposite. Expand your thinking and move away from the one thing that tends to overtake your thoughts.
The holiday blues are real. Many suffer from the multitude of emotions that stem from this time of year. While celebrations are fun, remember and support those who may need extra comfort. And if it’s you, take steps using some of my suggestions to navigate these weeks better than you may have in the past.
Most importantly, take a breath and try to relax. Control what you can control and let go of the rest.
By: Shelley Rawlings
CEO WellnessAMPED Health. Community. Culture.