Holiday Blues: How to Cope with Your Stress & Anxiety

What is holiday blues?

While holiday blues are a common experience for many during the festive season, it's important to distinguish them from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a more serious clinical condition. SAD is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons, typically beginning in late fall or early winter and subsiding during spring and summer. Unlike the temporary nature of holiday blues, SAD is a recurring condition that can significantly impact daily functioning. People with SAD experience symptoms similar to major depression, including persistent low mood, loss of interest in activities, changes in sleep and appetite, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms are more severe and long-lasting than those associated with holiday blues. If you find that your mood consistently dips during certain seasons and interferes with your ability to carry out daily tasks, it may be worth consulting a healthcare professional to determine if you're experiencing SAD rather than typical holiday stress.

Holiday blues are a set of symptoms including depression and anxiety that occur during the holiday season. Holiday blues are usually distinguished from full clinical psychiatric diagnoses such as major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or seasonal affective disorder, which have specific diagnostic criteria in terms of the type and duration of symptoms. However, holiday blues can cause some of the symptoms that can be seen in these disorders.

These symptoms include depression or irritability, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, anxiety, or worry, a loss of interest in hobbies, changes in appetite, weight, or sleep, difficulty concentrating, and thoughts of harming oneself or others.

Treatment includes open communication with loved ones, creating clear goals, expectations, and limits for oneself, as well as potential support from mental health professionals.

You do not need treatment at this time. If your symptoms worsen or last longer than a month, it is recommended you see your physician for further evaluation.

Holiday blues symptoms

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of holiday blues will impact your mood and demeanor, such as the following.

• Depressed or irritable mood: You may feel less happy than usual, and may easily feel upset or discouraged.
• Feeling more tired than usual: You may have less energy than you usually do.
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt: For example, you may feel guilty about not spending enough time with friends and family, or you may feel worthless when comparing yourself to others if you perceive them as more successful.
• Loss of pleasure or interest in doing things that you used to enjoy: You may lose interest in certain hobbies or activities.
• Feeling tense, worried, or anxious: You may be worried about specific things, or feel like you are worried all the time without having specific things to worry about.

Other symptoms

Other symptoms that may have more widespread effects on those with holiday blues may include the following.

• Change in appetite or weight: This could either be an increase or decrease in appetite with a corresponding weight gain or weight loss.
• Change in sleep patterns: This could either be an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep (insomnia) or feeling the need to sleep excessively.
• Difficulty concentrating: You may feel like you are in a mental fog.
• Thoughts of hurting oneself or suicide: Holiday blues alone usually does not cause a person to have thoughts of hurting themselves or committing suicide. However, if this occurs, this may be a sign of a more serious psychiatric condition that can be treated with the guidance of a professional psychiatrist and/or therapist. It has also been rumored that suicide rates are higher around the holiday season, which actually isn’t true.

Holiday blues causes

A number of factors can contribute to the development of holiday blues, detailed below.

Time and environmental changes

Changes in the time and environment during the holidays may contribute to the development of holiday blues. These include the decreased duration of natural light during the day, mismatches between the body’s natural circadian rhythm (“biologic clock”) and the external schedule, and decreased time spent outdoors. These can cause mood symptoms especially if you have a history of depression or other psychiatric disorders.

Increased social demands

Increased social demands during the holidays can create stress and lead to symptoms of holiday blues. These include scheduling meetings and gatherings with many groups of friends, trying to find the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones, and taking care of others. These demands can leave little time to take care of yourself, leading to decreased self-care, which can exacerbate holiday blues symptoms.

Excess eating and alcohol use

Excess eating and alcohol use during the holidays can lead to symptoms of holiday blues. Excess eating and weight gain can worsen one’s self-image and make one feel guilty about a lack of self-control. In addition, alcohol use can exacerbate psychiatric symptoms, especially in people with a history of an underlying psychiatric disorder.

Lack of sleep

Busy holiday schedules and activities can lead to a lack of sleep, which increases stress and can lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Unrealistic expectations about oneself

The holidays can create unrealistic expectations about yourself that can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety if you perceive you are falling behind. For example, meeting other people who appear to be more successful can lead you to feel bad about your own achievements. In addition, many holiday movies and stories show images of perfectly happy lives and families that may not be realistic but can lead you to feel unsatisfied with your own situation.

Treatment options and prevention for holiday blues

Speak with a friend or loved one

One way to help alleviate symptoms of holiday blues is to speak with a friend or loved one. People who experience symptoms of holiday blues sometimes withdraw to themselves, but this can actually exacerbate the symptoms by creating feelings of loneliness. Speaking with a friend or loved one can help you better process your feelings and connect you with sources of support.

Set realistic goals and expectations and stick to a plan

Setting realistic goals and expectations can help mitigate some of the sources of stress that can lead to the holiday blues. For example, you should be realistic about how much time and money you can spend on others, and don’t be afraid to say no if you feel over-extended. Making a clear plan and sticking to it can help avoid some of the stress of last-minute planning and responsibilities.

Create time for yourself

It is important to create time for yourself to de-stress and recharge. Allow time to do things you enjoy and let yourself say no to others to accommodate it — and don’t feel bad or be afraid to do so.

Limit excessive eating and alcohol intake

Limiting excessive eating and alcohol intake can help avoid some of the symptoms that these behaviors can cause. You can do this by setting clear limits for yourself before large events and being honest with yourself about sticking to those limits. Consider asking one of your friends or loved ones to help hold you accountable.

See a mental healthcare provider

If you are experiencing many symptoms of holiday blues, or more serious symptoms such as thoughts of suicide, you should consider seeing a mental healthcare provider such as a psychiatrist or a therapist. If your symptoms are consistent with a clinical disorder such as major depression, you may benefit from antidepressant medications and/or psychotherapy.

When to seek further consultation for holiday blues

If you experience any symptoms of holiday blues

If you feel like you cannot manage your feelings on your own or they seem more serious to you than emotions you normally experience, you should see your doctor or a mental healthcare provider. The doctor can evaluate your symptoms to see if your symptoms are consistent with a clinical disorder, and offer the appropriate treatment.

If you have thoughts of hurting yourself or others

If you have thoughts of hurting yourself or others, you should contact your doctor or call 988 (the new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or 911 right away.