Focusing on the Joys of the Holiday Season
Dr. Kristyn Gregory, D.O.
| 4 min read
Dr Kristyn Gregory, D.O., is a medical director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Dr. Gregory is a native Michigander and a graduate of medical school at Midwestern University in Chicago. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at Henry Ford Detroit Michigan, and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Wayne State University. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Expectations to host the perfect holiday party and purchase the perfect holiday gifts can cloud what the holiday season should truly be about. The holidays should be a time for giving, expressing gratitude and bonding with loved ones.
A 2023 Harris Poll found that 41% of people experience an increase in stress between November and January compared to other points in the year. The same survey found that while stress is common during this time, 43% of respondents said the stress of the holidays interferes with their ability to enjoy them and 36% said the holidays feel like a competition.
Taking a step back to practice mindfulness and gratitude can help relieve holiday stress before it starts.
Emphasize mindfulness and gratitude
Being mindful involves slowing down, taking time to breathe and focusing on what’s important right now. There’s no such thing as a perfect holiday season, but having a deeply meaningful and enjoyable one starts with noticing blessings. Here’s how to do that:
- Take deep breaths: Taking in oxygen is a simple yet sometimes overlooked way to alleviate stress when feeling overwhelmed. Mindfulness and meditation are proven ways to reduce anxiety, stress and depression. They can improve memory, focus and cognition, relationships and can make individuals more compassionate and empathetic.
- Be present: Connect with family by paying attention to their words and body language. Avoid spending time on smart phones or other devices and instead engage in meaningful interactions with family members.
- Express gratitude: Writing down things to feel grateful for in a journal before bed each night can be a helpful exercise as the holidays approach. This mindset can be incorporated into the gift-giving process, as well. For example, try writing a gratitude letter about a loved one that can be read during a get-together.
Prioritize experiences over items
Research suggests that gift-giving activates key reward pathways in the brain associated with pleasure and social connection. Studies have also found that spending money on others promotes happiness. But the process of buying, wrapping and presenting gifts can be a stressful journey. Physical gifts aren’t the only route to go this holiday season.
In lieu of gift-giving, put a larger emphasis on prioritizing experiences. In addition to traditional holiday dinners and get-togethers, consider gifting an experience to loved ones or even planning experiences together. Plan holiday movie nights, visit local outdoor holiday displays and buy tickets to holiday-themed plays or musicals. Experiences can provide a deeper meaning than physical gifts by:
- Creating personal connections and strengthening relationships
- Increasing bonding and socialization opportunities
- Leaving lasting, richer memories
- Being less wasteful than material items
Avoid making social media comparisons
Social media can exacerbate stress. For young people in particular, comparing oneself to others online who they perceive to be smarter, funnier or prettier than them leads to negative psychological outcomes like anxiety and depression. The same issue can present itself during the holidays.
Scrolling through social media newsfeeds and finding beautifully decorated homes, extravagant dinner parties and expensive gifts can naturally cause someone to compare those situations to their own. These posts intend to increase cheer and joy, but they can also fuel feelings of discontent and lowered self-esteem, as well as pressure to recreate what’s seen on social media in their own lives. As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy.
Setting boundaries on social media can look different for everyone, but here are some suggestions:
- Set limits: Smart phones allow individuals to set limits for social media apps. This can be done manually, as well, by setting a timer and then exiting an app once the timer goes off. These measures can prevent excessive doomscrolling on social media.
- Take breaks: Turn off notifications, remove apps from phones and/or take periods of time completely away from social media.
- Unfollow and mute: If certain accounts – such as celebrity influencer accounts – are causing feelings of despair, mute or unfollow them until after the holidays pass. Make a conscious effort to curate a feed whose content makes you feel happy and comfortable.
- Replace screen time with activities: Many individuals scroll social media at certain times of day, like in the morning before getting out of bed, during breaks at work or at night before bed. Replace those prevalent times of scrolling with healthy activities, such as reading a book, meditating or connecting with family members through a phone call or face-to-face conversation.
Kristyn Gregory is a medical director of behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. For more health tips and information visit MIBlueDaily.com.
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