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Holiday Anxiety Is Real — Here’s How People Can Actually Stay Sane This Season

Jan 19, 2026

3 min


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The holidays promise joy, warmth, and “quality time,” but for many people they also deliver a cocktail of stress, expectations, forced cheer, family politics, and receipts longer than a CVS bill.

Between travel chaos, financial pressure, social burnout, and attempting to assemble toys designed by engineers who clearly hate humans, holiday anxiety is soaring.


The good news: experts who study mental health, behaviour, and stress management say there are ways to keep your nerves intact — and maybe even enjoy yourself along the way.


Why the Holidays Stress People Out (Science Says It’s Not Just You)


Adults report higher levels of stress in November and December than almost any other time of year. Common triggers include:


  • Financial expectations: gifts, gatherings, travel, meals, and the sudden belief that every present needs to be “meaningful.”
  • Time pressure: too much to do, too few days on the calendar.
  • Social overload: introverts, extroverts, and “I’m-just-here-for-the-food-verts” all feel it.
  • Family dynamics: every family has at least one person who always “starts something.”
  • Nostalgia vs. reality: the pressure to create a “perfect holiday,” despite the fact that perfect holidays only exist in movies and greeting cards.


Experts note that people often skip their routines (sleep, exercise, healthy meals) and then wonder why their stress spikes. The season demands more of people while simultaneously removing their coping mechanisms.


Practical Ways to Reduce Holiday Anxiety — Backed by Psychology (and Common Sense)


1. Lower the Bar: “Good Enough” Is a Holiday Gift to Yourself


Researchers consistently find that perfectionism fuels anxiety. A store-bought pie, a slightly messy house, or wrapping gifts in whatever paper you can find at 11 p.m. will not derail the season.


2. Set Boundaries (Even With the Loud Relatives)


Experts often emphasize that saying “no” is one of the most effective stress-management tools. Fewer events, fewer obligations, fewer emotional landmines.


3. Budget Before You Shop


Financial therapists note that anxiety drops when people pre-set limits and stick to them. You don’t need a MasterCard bill that arrives in January carrying the emotional weight of a Greek tragedy.


4. Protect Your Recharge Time


A short walk, fresh air, or 10 minutes of solitude is not selfish — it’s psychological maintenance. Mental-health researchers recommend intentionally scheduling downtime before the calendar fills itself.


5. Keep Expectations Realistic


Not every moment will be magical. Not every conversation will be smooth. Not every plan will unfold as imagined. Experts say acceptance, not forced positivity, lowers stress significantly.


6. Focus on Meaning, Not Perfection


Studies show that people feel calmer when they shift their focus toward connection, gratitude, and small moments rather than elaborate performances of holiday cheer.


Holiday Angles for Journalists


  • The psychology behind holiday anxiety — what triggers it and why it’s so universal
  • How family systems and old patterns surface at holiday gatherings
  • The economics of holiday stress — debt, spending pressure, and emotional spending
  • How introverts (and extroverts) navigate holiday overload differently
  • Why holiday nostalgia makes people emotionally sensitive
  • Healthy boundary-setting during family events
  • How immigrant, multicultural, and blended families are reshaping holiday expectations


Let's get you connected to an expert.


The holiday season is increasingly fast-paced, commercialized, and socially demanding. Many people feel pressure to present a perfect life at a time when burnout, financial strain, and mental-health challenges are higher than ever.


Helping audiences understand holiday stress — and giving them practical, research-grounded strategies — can make a measurable difference in their emotional well-being.


For journalists covering mental health, family dynamics, holiday culture, or stress-management trends, ExpertFile’s roster of psychologists, counsellors, behavioural scientists, and wellness experts can offer insights, interviews, and real-world advice to support your reporting.








Find your expert here: www.expertfile.com

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