How Spending Time With Loved Ones Can Alleviate Holiday Stress

By Author: Novum Psychiatry
Total Articles: 25
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Have Fun

We all know that the most common solution to coping with stress is psychiatric therapy. So it’s no wonder that you’re probably asking yourself one question: How does spending time with family during the holidays reduce stress? Well, taking the time to do something fun with your loved ones can help everyone feel less tense and get their minds on something else.

Finances can be a major stressor during the holidays, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun with your family during the holidays. Instead, you can engage in simple games that won’t cost a cent, like playing a board game, having a picnic at the local park, or engaging in some simple sporting activities. Just try to find an activity that will get the whole family having a good time together.

Build a Strong Support System

A great way to alleviate holiday stress is to build a strong support system by taking some time to create relationships with all the members of your family. Of course, this will take time and a coordinated effort by everyone in the family. You might be asking yourself how much time should family ...
... spend together? Well, the trick is to focus on things like

working together
communicating
supporting one another
celebrating accomplishments
This enables all the family members to recognize that a family is a group of people that is always there to support them in tough times. This can include your immediate family and your extended family, or even close friends that you can lean on and who are willing to offer a helping hand.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

Everyone needs a little help from time to time, and the holidays are always a good time for lending a helping hand. If you’re having a hard time financially, there are probably some close family members that can make sure you have a happy holiday and help alleviate holiday stress. You can also take a creative approach like spending quality time with family by getting your family and friends together for a fun activity or organizing an event where you all exchange gifts.

If you’re struggling with some mental health issues, the holidays can even be a more challenging time. If you’re feeling lonely, volunteering can be a wonderful way to do some good and make new social connections at the same time. If you’re feeling constantly anxious, down, or hopeless, it might be time to talk to a mental health professional offering psychiatric therapy who can advise you on how to manage your stress and anxiety during the holidays.

Make a Deliberate Effort to be Generous

A great way to stay calm and feel cheerful and content during the holidays is to behave generously with the people who are close to you. This doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank. You can do a few simple things that won’t cost you much.

Be generous with the compliments you give your loved ones.
Offer to run a loved one’s dreaded errand.
Write a short, funny poem or story for a loved one
The trick here is to be creative with the gifts and compliments you offer other people. They will gladly appreciate your real, heartfelt gestures, and it will leave you feeling good and in high spirits.

Try to Stay Away from your Digital Gadgets

One of the fastest ways to become anxious is to be constantly checking your social media and e-mails. This holiday season, make an effort to do a digital detox. You could try to stay away from your tech devices for a few hours a day, a week, or whenever you have family and friends around. The world won’t come to a halt just because you suddenly stop mindlessly scrolling through other people’s photos and comments. These are likely to make you feel awful that your life is not as exciting as theirs. Additionally, you might feel like you don’t even care about some of the people on your social media pages and can’t even remember why you even started to befriend them in the first place.

Instead of spending time scrolling through other people’s posts, focus on spending some quality time with family and you will find the holidays less stressful. Call your loved ones and make plans to meet up with them sometime during the holidays, or simply text someone you care about to say hi and see how they are doing. You should know that real quality time and communication will always make you feel better.

In a nutshell, never ignore your loved ones and close friends who care about you as these relationships lead to a happier, healthier, and more purposeful life. If you are a resident of the MetroWest (Massachusetts, USA) area and you are feeling stressed about the Christmas holidays, call us today to schedule an appointment and get advice for managing stress and anxiety during the holiday season.

Categories: Life tips