Signs of Holiday Stress

The holidays are quickly approaching; do you know the signs of holiday stress? Recognizing how you feel during this time of year will help you control your stress so you can have a happy holiday season.

Do you experience holiday stress?

Why are the Holidays so Stressful?

Right after Halloween, many people start to dread the next two months. They know they have a long list of things to do and not enough time to do it all. Anxieties increase as family starts talking about plans for the upcoming festivities. Who is going to have dinner at whose house and who is going to be upset he or she is or is not the host this year? No matter how organized you might be, decorating always seems like a nightmare; decorations aren't where they are supposed to be and lights miraculously became tangled in an untouched box. Don't forget, there's shopping for presents and fighting the crowds at the mall. It's no wonder that people feel like they lose their mind this time of year!

The Signs of Holiday Stress

Some people can sail through the season without even thinking about how stressful it is – others almost have a nervous breakdown. If you fall into the stressed out category, knowing the signs of holiday stress can help you relax and enjoy the festive season.

• Lack of concentration

All of sudden, you have a difficult time concentrating on tasks that you normally have no problem focusing on. You are easily distracted and find yourself obsessing over holiday plans.

• Physical ailments

You not only have a cold every week but you also have stomachaches, headaches, and sore muscles. You tell yourself that it's just the cold weather but many times, stress is the major cause for your illnesses.

• Mood swings

One minute you are so happy and the next minute you can't stand anyone or anything. You go from being excited about the festivities coming up to feeling depressed about them.

• Increase in anger

Normally, you are a nice person but all of sudden you are commanding people to do things and people don't want to be around you for fear you may yell at them.

Do you spend too much?

• Crying often

Whenever something the least bit stressful happens, you start crying. You feel depressed and start to think you may have seasonal affective disorder.

• Running constantly

You have every minute of everyday booked with things to do, you hardly have time to eat because you are so busy.

• Neglecting other things

Other events in your life just seem to pass you by without you even noticing.

• Drinking more alcohol

You start to drink more alcohol to help calm your nerves.

• Overeating

You carry around a bag of chips or eat all the time because it's the one comforting thing about this time of year.

• Overspending

You have a budget but you can't seem to stop buying for either yourself or your loved ones.

Seasonal Stress is Individualized

You may not experience any of these signs of holiday stress. Everyone expresses their anxieties in different ways. Identifying what your anxiety signs are may help you understand yourself better. Before the season rush begins, keep a journal on things you do each day and your level of anxiety. As you approach November and December, keep writing and reflect on how you felt before these two months. You may start to see differences in what you do each day, how you feel about what you do and how you cope with those feelings. This will be how you figure out if what you are going through is holiday stress.

Effectively Coping with Seasonal Stress

If you are a holiday stress sufferer, there are ways for you to relax during the holidays. Keep yourself feeling well by eating and sleeping enough. You also might want to try doing some basic strategies in stress management or quick stress relievers to help you calm your nervousness. This is the time of year for cheer and joy. Let people help you so you can step back and create some fond memories for yourself.

• Washable Meditation Cushions
• Alternative Anger Management Therapy
• Funny Stressful Clipart

• Anger Management Worksheets
• Mandalas for Meditation and Coloring
• Stress Management Lesson Plans
• Stress Management PowerPoint Presentation
• Free Guided Relaxation

• Definition of Stress
• How to Relax During the Holidays
• Effects of Stress on the Body
• Causes of Teenage Stress
• Main Page