BRYAN, Texas — With Thanksgiving passing by and Christmas well on the way, the holiday season is usually a source of joy.
To some though, it can trigger some stress, but there are ways to combat it.
Dr. Zachariah, a psychiatrist at Baylor Scott and White says that people definitely experience stress and anxiety around the holidays.
“It’s brought on by a combination of different things. Holiday obligations, family obligations, finances stresses that arise with travel.”
There’s also another factor that can add to that stress: the conversation.
“Oh, that’s definitely a big part of it, because for a lot of people they’re meeting with friends or extended family they haven’t seen in a long time.If they’re dealing with questions that they haven’t dealt with in a while. Meeting family expectations or even just dealing with a lot of conversations that were unsavory in the past... politics is always a divisive element,” said Dr. Zachariah.
So what should those who get anxious or stressed by all that do?
“The safest and best thing to do is you know, you know yourself. Letting yourself know , hey, I know this kind of comes up. Just walking away from the situation sometimes or you know, diverting the conversation if it just feels really uncomfortable.”
It really comes down to giving yourself a break, and "... just letting yourself know, that hey, this isn’t going to be a perfect conversation... I’m going to put in the input that I feel comfortable with... so just kinda setting a limitation as to, I’m gonna talk about this, we’re not for example gonna talk about politics at the dinner table,” he said.
What if you feel like you might be a source of holiday anxiety? To doctor Zachariah, the answer can be simple.
“Stick to positive talk... it goes a long way to just focus on compliments or focus on the things that are going great.”
Most importantly, remind yourself, “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be a good holiday season, you know, you just have to be you.”
To get in contact with a mental health provider at Baylor Scott and White, visit their website.