written by Rebecca-Sophia Strong
The holiday season is often painted as a magical time filled with joy, family gatherings, and celebration. Yet, for many people, this time of year can bring about heightened anxiety and stress. From financial pressures and family dynamics to the weight of unrealistic expectations, the holidays can feel overwhelming rather than joyful.
If you find yourself struggling to keep your anxiety in check during this festive season, you’re not alone. The good news is that anxiety therapy can provide tools, insights, and a safe space to navigate these challenges and reclaim your sense of peace.
Understanding Holiday Anxiety
Holiday anxiety manifests in various ways. It might look like sleepless nights as you worry about gift-giving or hosting. Perhaps you feel dread at the thought of attending large gatherings or revisiting unresolved family conflicts. Sometimes, the pressure to appear happy and festive can make underlying feelings of sadness, loneliness, or fear even more pronounced.
The physical symptoms of anxiety—racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension—can escalate during this time, leaving you feeling disconnected from the joy that the season promises. This is where therapy becomes a powerful ally.
How Therapy Helps You Overcome Anxiety
Therapy is not just about addressing symptoms—it’s about understanding their roots and finding sustainable ways to heal and grow. Anxiety therapy is particularly effective during the holiday season because it provides a structured, supportive environment to explore the triggers and patterns contributing to your distress.
Clarifying Your Inner System
When holiday anxiety strikes, it can feel like chaos has taken over your mind and body. Therapy offers a grounding opportunity to pause and clarify what’s really happening. By identifying your emotional triggers and understanding your responses, you can regain a sense of control and develop healthier ways to cope.
For instance, in therapy sessions, we often explore questions like:
- What expectations am I placing on myself or others this season?
- Are these expectations realistic and aligned with my values?
- How can I set boundaries that honor my emotional well-being?
By diving into these reflections, you can untangle the web of thoughts and feelings contributing to your anxiety and make more intentional choices.
Building Resilience Through Somatic Practices
The stress of the holidays often gets stored in the body, manifesting as tight shoulders, headaches, or a sense of restlessness. This is where somatic practices, integrated into therapy, become invaluable. Techniques such as grounding exercises, breathwork, and polyvagal training help you release tension and reconnect with a sense of safety within your body.
One effective approach I use is the "Stop, Drop, and Roll" technique. When anxiety flares up, you:
1. Stop whatever you’re doing.
2. Drop into your body by focusing on physical sensations or your breath.
3. Roll with your inner needs by asking yourself, “What do I need right now to feel supported?”
These small but powerful steps allow you to interrupt the cycle of anxiety and respond with greater calm and clarity.
Transforming Your Mindset
Holiday anxiety is often fueled by negative thought patterns: “I’m not doing enough,” “Everyone else is happier than me,” or “What if everything goes wrong?” Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a cornerstone of anxiety treatment, helps you challenge and reframe these thoughts.
In therapy, you learn to:
- Recognize unhelpful thinking patterns.
- Replace self-critical thoughts with affirming ones.
- Focus on what’s within your control rather than what’s beyond it.
As you practice these skills, the grip of anxious thinking loosens, allowing you to experience the holidays with a lighter heart and clearer mind.
Healing Deeper Wounds
Sometimes, holiday anxiety is rooted in past experiences—perhaps a difficult childhood holiday memory or unresolved family trauma. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can help address these deeper wounds. By processing and releasing the emotional charge of these memories, EMDR creates space for healing and freedom from the past.
Similarly, Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helps you explore the parts of yourself that feel overwhelmed, sad, or anxious. By offering compassion to these parts, you can unburden them and step into a more empowered version of yourself.
Reclaiming Joy During the Holidays
The ultimate goal of therapy is not just to reduce anxiety but to help you reconnect with what truly matters. The holiday season is an opportunity to reflect on your values, deepen your connections, and create traditions that feel authentic and meaningful to you.
Through therapy, you can:
Set Boundaries: Learn how to say no to obligations that drain you and yes to experiences that nourish you.
Practice Gratitude: Shift your focus from what’s missing to what’s present and beautiful in your life.
Rediscover Your Desires: Reconnect with the joy and wonder that the holidays can bring when approached with intention.
A Space Just for You
Amid the holiday hustle, therapy offers a retreat-like experience—a place where you can pause, reflect, and recharge. Whether it’s through weekly sessions or intensive therapeutic retreats, you deserve a space where you feel heard and understood on a soul-deep level.
Imagine dedicating time each week to yourself, where the demands of the season fade into the background and your well-being takes center stage. This is the gift of therapy: a time to recalibrate and align with the life you’re meant to live.
Take the First Step
If holiday anxiety is weighing you down, now is the time to seek support. Therapy can help you move through this season with greater ease, resilience, and joy. Remember, your struggles are not obstacles to your destiny but stepping stones on your journey. By working with them—and with the right support—you can transform them into a guiding light.
Reach out today to learn more about how anxiety therapy can help you. Together, we can create a plan tailored to your unique needs, empowering you to navigate the holidays with confidence and peace of mind.
Your one wild and precious life awaits—don’t let anxiety hold you back. This holiday season, give yourself the gift of healing, growth, and inner calm. You’re worth it.
If you want to learn more about anxiety therapy, click here.