75 Quotes for A Fresh Perspective on Holiday Stress
If the greeting “happy holidays!” fills you with dread instead of joy, you’re probably experiencing holiday stress. Whether you’re all over the place trying to find the perfect gift, assembling a family feast, attending to one of the many celebrations of the season, or simply handling business as usual with fried coworkers, clients and customers, you are likely navigating one emotionally charged situation after another during the holiday season. If you happen to be an anxious perfectionist, the determination to please un-pleasable people during this time can leave you a complete wreck at the end of it all.
And if you set New Years resolutions, is it any wonder that you - like most people - struggle to keep them after surviving months of this stress-fest?
As the Mayo Clinic points out,
“The Holidays season means different things to different people. [The unifying theme between traditions is that] extra meals and activities can generate a lot of stress and guilt”.¹
According to a survey published by Healthline in 2015, 62% of people say that the holidays are “very” or “somewhat” stressful. ² And for good reason! The holidays pull on our time and resources, and it can often feel like we don’t have enough of either to go around. The Healthline survey identifies the primary sources of holiday stress as finances (47%), healthy eating / exercise (16%) , picking the “right” gift (15%), and scheduling (12%).
How would you describe your stress level during the holidays? Healthline’
What’s the greatest cause of stress during the holidays? Healthline
So what can you do?
First, take a moment to pause, and recognize any stress that you’re feeling. It can be tempting to ignore or deny difficult emotions during the “high season” for joy and generosity, but this typically makes you feel worse over time. It’s ok to not be ecstatic. If you need to, take a timeout. Go for long walks and spend time with people who make you smile.
And… enjoy these holiday stress quotes to refresh your perspective!
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Weiss, Cynthia. “Mayo Clinic Q and A: Holiday Stress and Mindfulness.” Mayo Clinic News Network, December 29, 2022. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-holiday-stress-and-mindfulness/.
Weiss, Cynthia. “Mayo Clinic Q and A: Holiday Stress and Mindfulness.” Mayo Clinic News Network, December 29, 2022. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-holiday-stress-and-mindfulness/.