If you’re struggling a bit this silly season, you’re not alone.
Tis the silly season, and for many it is a time to unwind catch up with our loved ones and relax.
But if you are feeling overly stressed this season and feel that you are not able to join in on the party, then know that you’re not alone – Christmas is a very stressful time for many people.
Christmas comes with high expectations of perfect happy families enjoying luxurious celebrations and gifts, but not all of us are able to live up to these lofty ideals.
Some people experience feelings of isolation, financial pressures or increased family conflict that can actually make this a very stressful time of year.
Holidays aren’t necessarily the cure…
The other issue with the festive season is that by the end of the year many of us are feeling the cumulative effects of 12 months of stress, so something that may not have bothered you in September can make you lose it in December.
As a stress management counsellor for over 25 years, I’ve heard many of my clients say their #1 solution to their stress is “taking a break”. However, relying on holidays as the cure for your stress is not a great stress management plan – as a break often doesn’t address the root cause of your stress.
Unless you are able to leave your thoughts behind and collect them when you come back from your holiday, you’ll take most of that stress with you, inside your head.
That doesn’t mean holidays are a waste of time, they can provide necessary down time to reflect on how you are running your life.
Maybe it’s the perfect opportunity for you to look at how much you are taking on, compared to how much time you allocate for your own self-care?
If you’re interested in getting specific information on what your personal stressors are and how they’re affecting you, take my free Stress Test. You can access this via my website.
