It’s a month before Christmas, and all through the house… teachers rush around to get end-of-semester tests done, parents frantically start that Christmas shopping they should have finished weeks ago, and something is in the air, and it isn’t holiday spirit (cough cough). 

Of course, Christmas is right around the corner, but as spirit levels rise, anxiety levels rise even faster. As easy as Hallmark movies like to make the holidays seem, many Christmases are anything but calm. Reasons for anxiety around the holiday season include schoolwork (thank goodness MW doesn’t have midterms), flu season, weather, monetary concerns, and familial concerns (how to make sure Uncle Bob doesn’t drink too much again at dinner). Although many of these concerns exist throughout the rest of the year as well, Christmas time can amplify them. It is very common for people to report anxiety about Christmas shopping–what to get people, who expects presents, how much they can reasonably avoid spending without looking cheap, etc.

Non-holiday concerns around the months of November and December alone can be enough to stress anyone out: flu and norovirus season and the end-of-year financial and academic scramble. Many employers run their employees ragged around the end of the year to tie up loose financial ends, and employees (sometimes even employers) neglect their mental health. Teachers and students alike panic, trying to complete and grade assignments and get last-minute tests in before winter break. All the while, the flu, norovirus (that virus that makes kids vomit, and parents cry), and COVID circulate, doing their utmost to take employees, teachers, and students out, leaving them a massive pile of make-up work to start the new year.  

 It is also common for people to compare themselves to others and feel dissatisfied with their Christmas preparations such as decorations, meals, Christmas shopping, and festive spirit without taking into account their own personal circumstances. The Hallmark Channel features movies that portray Christmas as being nothing but magic and sugar, while young couples fall in love over eggnog and a bearded man in a red suit falls down the chimney. The Hallmark Channel’s often inaccurate portrayals of heartwarming holidays, romance, and family can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and anxiety.

Aside from anxiety, Christmas can also bring feelings of loneliness and depression. The shift from daylight saving time to standard time, as well as the colder, drearier weather, can often cause a change in mood. Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression triggered by chemical changes in the brain in response to changes in light level. Sunlight encourages serotonin (one of the “feel good” chemicals) production, and a lack of sunlight may lead to decreased serotonin levels and depression. 

Many people also often feel lonely during the Christmas holidays, especially people who have recently had a break-up, death in their family, or other negative experience. Such experiences can feel even more heavy when surrounded by joy and bright lights. The Christmas Blues even have an entire song–many people really do have blue Christmases without their loved ones. Often, the Christmas Blues improve with time, although they may never entirely go away. 

Even though Christmas is a stressful time, often filled with emotion, there are ways to cope with the holiday hassles. Self-care is often overlooked during the holiday season as people rush to get ready, and taking some time to relax can alleviate stress. Reaching out for support can also help ease the burden of preparation stress, and refraining from comparing oneself to others is important. While it can be fun to see who can create the best Christmas display, competing to buy the biggest presents, make the best Christmas dinner, or have the happiest children can backfire and take a toll on physical and mental health.