16 Anxiety-Busting Techniques for the Holidays

The holidays are a stressful time for many, whether you’re anxious about fam gatherings, worried about your finances or just generally feeling on edge.

If your anxiety peaks around the holidays and makes it harder to sleep, you’re not alone.

The good news: it can be managed. Pour yourself a cup of chamomile tea, put on some relaxing music, and let’s take a look at some achievable lifestyle changes you can adopt to help keep it under control.

Are you your own worst critic? Don’t feel bad — most of us are, putting higher expectations on ourselves than we’re capable of delivering.

Your anxiety may tell you that you’re not getting enough accomplished or making a mess of the things you are getting done.

Here’s the thing about anxiety: it's a liar.

Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, and stop being so hard on yourself. Like everyone, you’re a perfectly imperfect being. You deserve as much patience, kindness and forgiveness toward yourself as you would give any friend or loved one. 

For at least an hour a day, step away from your holiday to-do list to be a human being instead of a human doing, and focus exclusively on yourself and your needs. You deserve no less. 

Take a soothing bubble bath, play a video game, guilt-watch a trashy reality show, take a walk in the woods — whatever soothes your mind and replenishes your spirit.

A fitness regimen is one of the most important elements in managing anxiety. Its brain benefits are myriad: it improves cognitive function, releases feel-good endorphins and reduces stress and fatigue. ⁽¹⁾

It also lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone your pituitary gland pumps out when you’re anxious. Cortisol activates fight-or-flight mode, increasing your heart rate, respiration and muscle tension. As you can imagine, excess cortisol in your system can make it really difficult to sleep. 

If your holiday schedule is packed and you can’t fit a full 45-minute cardio workout in, even a 10-minute walk outside can help reduce stress levels. The sunlight will also stimulate the body’s vitamin D production, helping to regulate your mood and keep your circadian rhythm in balance.  

Working out will also provide a boost to your self-esteem and give you a sense of accomplishment — just don’t be hard on yourself for skipping a day here and there.

It’s important to exercise your muscles to keep your body (and mind) in top form, and similarly, your brain will benefit from its own targeted workout.

Learning a new language, artistic technique or musical instrument demands your mind’s full focus as you work new areas of the brain, which can really break the cycle of anxious thoughts. And, thanks to the prevalence of YouTube tutorials and sites like Duolingo, your instructor is as close as your computer. 

In the same way that a cardio or weightlifting routine will exhaust your muscles, exerting your brain on an unfamiliar task will tire it out so that you’re less likely to ruminate on worrisome thought processes. 

Learning something new also gives you a confidence boost, which can help silence the negative self-talk that can accompany anxiety.

Maintaining a healthy diet isn’t just essential to keeping your body functioning at peak performance, it’s important for your brain chemistry as well. 

It can even reverse some of the damage that anxiety has previously done to your mind and body. (It also alleviates the guilt from stress-eating that entire tray of pumpkin muffins at Thanksgiving.)

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein are your biggest allies in your battle against anxiety. Brazil nuts, fatty fish, eggs, pumpkin seeds, turmeric, dark chocolate and yogurt are especially beneficial for brain health. ⁽²⁾

The holidays offer us a welcome break from our well-worn routines — but maintaining a loose daily schedule can help to keep anxiety levels down. 

You know that everything you need to do is on your radar and you know what’s coming up next, taking a lot of the wheel-spinning out of the anxious cycle of how you should be spending your time. ⁽³⁾

It will also help you at bedtime. When you follow a routine, your mind and body will automatically start to wind down as the day’s end approaches, making it easier to fall asleep.

Whether you meditate at bedtime or take time to destress after you first rise in the morning, a daily meditation regimen not only clears anxiety while you’re engaged in it, it’s an excellent practice for dismissing anxious thoughts and calming yourself at any point during the day. 

Meditation can be tough, especially if you’ve just begun incorporating it into your daily routine. If you’re having a problem keeping intrusive thoughts at bay, try one of YouTube’s many guided meditations to give your focus an anchor.

The term “mindfulness” has made its way into common use, but many are confused as to what it specifically means or what might be involved. 

Being mindful simply means that you’re focused on the current moment, your environment and the people you’re with rather than the things that anxiety wants you to focus on: money problems, failed career goals, health concerns, family issues, etc. 

Meditation is a form of mindfulness, but so is sitting in the park enjoying the breeze and feeding the squirrels while being serenaded by the birds. Active listening is another. 

You can find numerous books, apps and YouTube videos that can help you with mindfulness, but it mostly boils down to dismissing your intrusive thoughts and being fully aware of your surroundings, how you’re feeling and what you’re doing. (Which is easier said than done — it takes practice!) 

Jigsaw puzzles are a simple but effective mindfulness tool — it’s hard to think about bills when you’re focused on hunting down all those border pieces.

The term “mindfulness” has made its way into common use, but many are confused as to what it specifically means or what might be involved. 

Being mindful simply means that you’re focused on the current moment, your environment and the people you’re with rather than the things that anxiety wants you to focus on: money problems, failed career goals, health concerns, family issues, etc. 

Meditation is a form of mindfulness, but so is sitting in the park enjoying the breeze and feeding the squirrels while being serenaded by the birds. Active listening is another. 

You can find numerous books, apps and YouTube videos that can help you with mindfulness, but it mostly boils down to dismissing your intrusive thoughts and being fully aware of your surroundings, how you’re feeling and what you’re doing. (Which is easier said than done — it takes practice!) 

Jigsaw puzzles are a simple but effective mindfulness tool — it’s hard to think about bills when you’re focused on hunting down all those border pieces.

No, we’re not talking about the video conferencing app. 

Humans evolved into social creatures early in our species’ development. When we go too long without being in personal contact with others, we start to feel loneliness. This is actually evolutionary hard-wiring designed to drive us back to the safety of numbers when we’ve drifted off on our own. 

Though we don’t still face the threat of saber-toothed beasts when we head out for groceries, the emotion of loneliness lives on, and it can have serious psychological — and even physical — effects that can intensify anxiety.

Be sure to spend some one-on-one time with those close to you during the holidays — even if it’s just a quick coffee get-together between family commitments.

But since you mentioned the Facetime app (or was that us?), if you can’t get out to visit in-person, video chat is the next-best solution. Though you’ll miss out on some of the emotional benefits of being together, such as touch, you’ll still be able to interact directly with the other person and see their gestures and facial cues for additional conversational context.

Contributing your time and energy toward a cause you believe in gives you an incredible anxiety-busting boost to your spirit. Taking action alleviates feelings that meaningful change is outside your control.   

Check volunteermatch.org for opportunities in your area covering a broad spectrum of organizations and time commitments.

Not avoiding your problems — the best way to face those is head-on. 

But there are some things you can avoid to alleviate anxiety. 

We totally understand that cup of coffee in the morning to get the heart pumping and clear the brain fog. We get the after-work cocktail, too — meetings with accounting can be brutal. But coffee and alcohol both contribute significantly to anxiety and should be limited.

There are some foods you should minimize, too — and they’re particularly common around the holidays. Fruit juice, soda, white flour, processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners can all intensify anxiety’s effects. ⁽⁴⁾

Shh… don’t tell the rest of this article, but it’s OK to worry. Sometimes.

Allow yourself 15 minutes — 30 if there’s a lot on your mind — to do nothing but sit and troubleshoot social scenarios, figure out how you’re going to pay the electric bill or be concerned about an upcoming meeting.

Set a timer on your phone, and once the timer goes off, your worries are over.

(At least until tomorrow.)

A massage combines several relaxing elements in one: soothing music, comfort, touch, the unknotting of muscles that you didn’t even realize were tense — it truly is one of best methods of nixing anxiety in a short amount of time. It’ll also boost your level of the feel-good chemical serotonin by an average of 28%!⁽⁵⁾

Don’t worry if your massage therapist is booked up, though — you can give yourself a massage. Dim the lights, put on some relaxing music, light a few candles and try the techniques at www.healthline.com/health/self-massage to take matters into your own hands. 

Remember the stress hormone cortisol that we mentioned earlier? A massage will not only lower your cortisol levels, it will release residual cortisol that’s built up in your cells. To help flush this from your body, after a massage it’s important to...

The brain is 75% water. So when you’re not properly hydrated, brain functioning suffers, serotonin levels drop and anxiety begins to run the show. That’s why it’s important to drink at least 100 oz of water each day — not just for your body’s operation, but also your brain.⁽⁶⁾

And not just the roses… the lavender and lilacs, too! These, as well as bergamot, sage, lemon and ylang-ylang are recommended by the American College of Healthcare Sciences to alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation.⁽⁷⁾

Diffusers and sprays are great, but you can get the same effects by putting a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and setting it on your coffee table or by dabbing it on your skin (just make sure you’re not allergic first).

Anxiety disorders affect approximately 18% of the population, yet less than 40% of those suffering from anxiety seek medical treatment for it.⁽⁸⁾ 

If you’re having problems managing it on your own, there’s no shame whatsoever in talking to your doctor about anxiety — even your primary care provider can prescribe medication that can help (though you’ll probably get a long-term referral to a psychopharmacologist).   

Your doctor can work with you to find medication without undesirable side effects (or help you manage any side effects you may experience).

Don’t let your anxiety be one more thing to worry about. Try some of our tips to tame it — so you can enjoy the holidays and get back to carefree nights of sleep once again.

Sources:

1. ADAA Staff, “Exercise for Stress and Anxiety.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managing-anxiety/exercise-stress-and-anxiety. Accessed 30 Aug. 2020.

2. Cathleen Crichton-Stuart, “What Are Some Foods to Ease Your Anxiety?” Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322652. 1 Aug. 2018.

3. Ellie Robins, “The secret benefit of routines. It won’t surprise you.” Headspace, https://www.headspace.com/blog/2016/08/22/the-secret-benefit-of-routines-it-wont-surprise-you. Accessed 30 Aug. 2020.

4. WebMD Staff, “Foods to Avoid If You Have Anxiety or Depression.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/depression/ss/slideshow-avoid-foods-anxiety-depression. Accessed 30 Aug. 2020.

5. Mayo Clinic Staff, “Can Massage Relieve Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety and Stress?” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/can-massage-relieve-symptoms-of-depression-anxiety-and-stress. 25 Jun. 2014.

6. Solara Mental Health Staff, “Water, Depression, and Anxiety.” Solara Mental Health, https://solaramentalhealth.com/can-drinking-enough-water-help-my-depression-and-anxiety. Accessed 30 Aug. 2020.

7. Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA, “Which essential oils can relieve anxiety?” Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324478. 18 Feb. 2019.

8. ADAA Staff, “Facts & Statistics.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics. Accessed 30 Aug. 2020

Disclaimer:  The information contained in this website or provided through our blog, e-mails, or programs is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment that can be provided by your healthcare professionals.