Managing Anxiety During the 'Silly Season'

Is the stress of the upcoming holidays, Christmas or New Year feeling a little too much to handle? Do you feel like work is snowballing and you don’t have time to take a breather? Are you anxious about this time with family and the financial stress of the holidays and gift-giving?

Self-care during the silly season is more important than ever, so we’ve put together some tips and tools to manage stress and anxiety during this busy period.

The holiday season is a special and significant time in the year for families. It is a time we look forward to - holidays, time with family, joyful memories, carols, delicious food and gifts. But for many, the holidays are a challenging and anxiety evoking time where financial pressure is experienced, complex family dynamics are highlighted, people feel isolated from their loved ones, and often less professional services are available to help.

Should you or any of your loved ones be experiencing difficulties this Christmas/holiday season, here are some practical tools or steps to help each day:

1. Know yourself and your triggers

- Start to notice how you are feeling in your body. For example, "Am I feeling tight in the chest or throat? Am I feeling sick in the stomach? Am I tense in the shoulders and neck? Is my breathing more restricted?" Practice relaxing the areas of the body that feel tense or restricted.

- Be aware of situations and people who cause you to feel upset or anxious and approach these situations with your own best interest in mind. For example, have an 'exit strategy' and know when to disengage from a conversation or not attend an event, know your financial and energy limits, don't allow yourself to feel pressure to connect with people who demonstrate toxic behaviours.

- If you know that finances are causing pressure for you, ensure you don't break the bank buying gifts. Don't be afraid to get creative and think of alternate ways to give gifts.

2. Practice mindfulness

- Engage in some deep breathing exercises to help relieve stress, calm the mind, lower blood pressure and relax muscles.

- Acknowledge how you are feeling. For example, "Today I feel disappointed and sad. It won't always be this way, but today it is and that is ok. I will keep going and keep trying my best."

- Be aware of your own self- talk. Practice speaking kindly to yourself and your situation.

- If you find yourself overthinking, over analysing or your thoughts are running wild in your own head, consider writing these thoughts down on paper or drawing them.

- Catch yourself when you thinking a stressful thought and take the time to bring yourself back to the present moment. You can do this by asking yourself, "where am I right now and how can I be fully here? What can I see? What can I smell? What can I hear? What can I feel?" Bringing yourself back to the present moment is a great way to reduce anxious thoughts.

3. Talk to someone you trust

- Don't be afraid to ask for help or to share how you are really going. Don't do this time alone.

- Engage with professional support if you need. There is no shame in asking for a hand.

4. Keep your body healthy

- Ensure you are eating, staying hydrated, sleeping, exercising where you are able to. This will in turn help keep your mind healthy.

- If you have challenges leaving the house or exercising, just start small. Perhaps a short walk, stretches or basic exercises inside at home would be more achievable.

- Also give yourself permission to indulge on some Christmas festive foods in this period too.

5. Be kind to yourself and practice gratitude

- It can be so easy to count everyone else's blessings (especially with Instagram and other social media apps), but don't forget to count your own. Even in the worst of times, I believe there is always something to be grateful for, even if it is simply that you are able to breathe deep, or that you have a fresh day with a clean slate. You are the master of your own life and can choose how you spend your day - that is powerful and something to be grateful for.

- Don’t forget to reflect on the people who have helped you or that you are grateful for. And please tell them - it does wonders for all involved!

6. Invest in yourself and in your self-care

- Make sure you are doing activities that you enjoy whether it's as simple as a coffee with a friend, listening to music, watching movies, reading books, spending time with a pet, sitting in a park, practising yoga and so on.

- Connect with your "grassroots" in some way to celebrate the things that make you, you! This could be related to your family, culture or faith. For example, attending a Christmas church service might help you, or engaging in outdoor activities in nature, spending a day at the beach, connect with a local community somewhere, volunteer to help at a shelter over the Christmas week and so on.