Navigating Holiday Stress and Finding Peace
By Caleb Scoville, LPC
The holiday season can be a time of joy, tenderness, and emotional complexity. For many, it brings a mix of celebration and strain. Holiday stress can emerge in numerous ways—family gatherings may reignite old conflicts or highlight strained relationships, and the pressure to create “perfect” moments often clashes with reality. Financial expectations surrounding gift-giving can add another layer of burden. For those who have lost loved ones or live far from family, the season may amplify feelings of loneliness. Even the shorter days and disrupted routines can trigger or worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The key to navigating holiday stress is not trying to eliminate every challenge but developing healthy, intentional strategies that support both your mental and physical well-being.
Move Your Body
Exercise is one of the most effective tools available for managing stress. Physical activity releases endorphins, lowers cortisol, and improves sleep—three powerful protectors against anxiety and depression. In the busy holiday season, maintaining movement becomes even more important.
Many underestimate the power of exercise. I often describe it this way: If the benefits of exercise could be bottled into a pill and placed on store shelves, they would sell out instantly.
The good news is that movement doesn’t have to be complicated. A brisk 20-minute walk, a short yoga session, or even dancing to holiday music in the kitchen can provide meaningful benefits. Treat movement as a non-negotiable form of self-care—schedule it as you would any appointment and guard that time intentionally.
Nourish Wisely
Holiday gatherings often center around rich, indulgent foods. While enjoying seasonal treats is part of the celebration, nourishing your body well helps stabilize your mood and energy.
Try to incorporate protein, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables into your meals, and stay hydrated, dehydration alone can intensify anxiety. Limit alcohol, as it may temporarily soothe stress but ultimately disrupts sleep and worsens low mood. Think of nutrition not just as fuel for your body but as support for your emotional resilience.
Practice Mindfulness
When holiday chaos begins to feel overwhelming, mindfulness can help bring you back to the present. Even a few simple practices can make a significant difference.
Use grounding strategies like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, identifying sensory details around you to calm the nervous system. Practice slow, intentional breathing before difficult family interactions. Spend a few minutes each morning in quiet reflection, prayer, or meditation.
Like any skill, mindfulness strengthens with practice. Just as you wouldn’t run a marathon without training, you cannot fully access the calming power of deep breathing without practicing it beforehand.
Connect Intentionally
Even during a season centered on togetherness, loneliness can reach its peak. Combat isolation by creating meaningful, intentional connections.
If large gatherings feel overwhelming, set boundaries around the amount of time you stay or topics you’re willing to discuss. Seek out supportive friends, join a local volunteer opportunity, or participate in a support group—either in person or online. Remember: quality connection matters more than quantity. One genuine conversation can be far more nourishing than a dozen surface-level interactions.
Give Yourself Grace
Perhaps the most powerful strategy of all is self-compassion. The holidays do not need to be perfect. You are not required to attend every event, give extravagant gifts, or maintain constant cheer. It is okay to feel tired, sad, overwhelmed, or ambivalent. Your emotions are valid.
By integrating movement, nutrition, mindfulness, and intentional connection, you’re not just surviving the season—you’re building habits of resilience that can carry you long after the holidays fade.
Additional Helpful Tips
- Use compassionate language to acknowledge what hurts and check in with yourself regularly.
- Be flexible and create a plan for the harder days. Give yourself mental preparation time for gatherings, difficult questions, or significant anniversaries.
- Establish small yet meaningful rituals that honor your emotions.
- Seek support when navigating complicated family dynamics or painful seasons.
- Maintain healthy boundaries in all relationships.
- Practice gratitude—even in hardship. Finding one thing to be thankful for can shift your perspective.
- Supporting others who are struggling can also bring comfort, hope, and meaning to your own journey.
- Keep perspective. Difficult seasons do not last forever—better days will come.
I personally hold onto these truths because they remind us that our suffering can be transformed into compassion, allowing us to walk alongside others with empathy and strength.
Scripture provides guidance and hope, helping us find purpose during difficult times. Below are two verses that are a great starting point for comfort and hope during difficult seasons.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
— 2 Corinthians 1:3–4
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:17–18
Caleb Scoville is a Licensed Practical Counselor and a clinical member at Transforming Life Counseling Center.
