Who has a case of the holiday blues? More than you would think. A 2023 American Psychological Association survey showed that 89% of U.S. adults were stressed about something around the winter holiday season. Causes range from the season itself—with the cold and dark bringing on Seasonal Affective Disorder—to limited finances, family drama and logistics around planning events.
At-risk groups
Dr. Jacqueline Magno, a psychiatrist working with Kaiser Permanente out of Union City, pointed to finances as the biggest source of overall stress. In addition, certain groups have their own challenges. The emphasis on reunions and togetherness around the holidays takes a toll on people with social anxiety, especially if they’re expected to organize and host the big gatherings. Likewise for people from high conflict families, reunions spark a sense of dread. Referring to college students, Magno says, “It can be a respite for them to be living in a different state or on campus, to avoid family members where there’s a lot of conflict.”
Gatherings can also be a minefield for recovering addicts, especially alcoholics, since meals tend to come with wine, champagne or mixed drinks. Magno says, “Sometimes just the sight of alcohol can trigger the brain to remember ‘You liked me before.’” And alcohol isn’t the only problem: The prevalence of fatty dishes and sugary drinks can be a stressor for those trying to lose weight, on a restricted diet or suffering from an eating disorder. Of course, the host should get to design the table. But coming up with affordable healthy options while also trying to satisfy everyone is another level of pressure.
The holidays are a time to break free from daily routines and schedules—but sometimes that means disrupted sleep, rest, meals and exercise. Everyone needs sleep and down time, but people with ADHD or autism especially need routines to regulate. For this reason, more behavioral issues can pop up during the holidays.
Finally, a time focused on reunions and togetherness can be tough for people who are grieving, dealing with the trauma of loss. They are even more aware that not everyone is “together” and can be tempted to isolate and fall deeper into depression and possibly self harm.
Overlooked groups
Young people have their own challenges around the holidays. Dr. Michael Stanton, a licensed clinical health psychologist and Assistant Professor at California State University, East Bay, shares that his college students experience the same holiday stressors as older adults, plus a few more. He says, “One demographic issue with my population is students feeling like they’re adults and going home to a family that still treats them like children.”
Finances are a huge source of holiday stress—affording gifts and food, not to mention the pressure of maintaining appearances. Students experience that stress too. Stanton continues, “It’s expensive to live. A lot of students have jobs and need to work full time.” Students also may have tests and projects coming up directly after the holidays, so they have to balance spending quality time with family with doing well academically.
Even younger kids have their stresses. Parents often want to show off their kids’ accomplishments, and older relatives want to know how young people are doing, especially if they haven’t seen each other for a while. But kids can feel pressured to perform and uphold the family image. Dr. Magno says, “It’s not a problem so much if the children are doing very well. It’s harder for those who are struggling academically or with relationships. That’s reinforcing self esteem issues. It can be traumatic for them, so they want to avoid, to be in their room.”
2020s stress
Recent years brought their own stressors to add to the holiday bundle. Inflation adds to the financial pressures. Covid also added to social anxiety. Michael Stanton says, “Coming out of Covid it’s been a challenge to make relationships, or rejoin some of those old relationships. People lost some of those skills. Particularly young people who didn’t develop it at the same rate as previous generations did and are still catching up.”
Interestingly, Dr. Magno observes that for a while Covid lockdowns flipped the usual holiday dynamic. “Those with social anxiety, at least with my patients, were happy that they were in lockdown. Those who had been bullied or who were feeling awkward in social situations at work or at school, they were so happy.” Conversely, “Those who are the sociable ones were severely impacted. They became depressed. They felt isolated, and they like to be around people.”
Overview
Many of these stressors—money, stress, anxiety—are present the rest of the year. In addition to the disruption of routines, what makes them stronger during the holidays is the assumption that people “should” be enjoying themselves during this relaxing, joyous time. It’s more accurate to say that everyone is stressed about something, but that stress doesn’t have to negate everything good.
Part II of this article will explore advice from Dr. Magno and Dr. Stanton on how to manage stress and boost mental health.
APA article
www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/11/holiday-season-stress
