8 Holiday Habits That Are Secretly Making You Anxious
HuffPost
Not feeling jolly? These common behaviors could be to blame.
Every present is wrapped with a pretty bow. The lights are twinkling, snow is falling and everyone is peacefully getting along. Then you turn off the TV.
Outside the picture-perfect world of Hallmark movies, the holidays can be stressful, triggering and exhausting. For many people, this means increased anxiety during the most wonderful time of the year.
“The combination of high expectations, societal pressures and family stressors make anxiety around the holiday an incredibly common experience,” Charissa Chamorro, a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told HuffPost. “In addition, the stress of meeting internal and external expectations is compounded by the increased tendency for social comparison. These factors lead many people to feel anxious at this time of year.”
While some things can obviously cause anxiety — like spending too much money or listening to Aunt Tammy’s politics over dinner — other behaviors could increase your anxiety without you even realizing it.
Keep reading for eight ways you may be unintentionally fueling your holiday-related anxiety this month, along with some expert tips for unwinding and staying present.
