Keeping Holiday Stress from Aggravating Clinical Depression or Anxiety Disorders

Holidays are stressful for everyone, but for those who are already dealing with clinical depression or an anxiety disorder, they can be a nightmare. Suicide rates and incidences of spousal abuse and child abuse rise between mid-November and mid-January. If you are dreading the season that is upon us, there are a few key strategies that can help you keep stress levels to a minimum through this difficult time: List, Prioritize, Simplify, and Adjust Expectations.

List

Begin by making detailed lists of everything that you feel needs to be done for the holiday season. Who do you need to buy or make gifts for? What decorations do you want for your home, inside and out? What special foods, if any, do you need to cook and bake? What parties are you invited to, and what celebrations, if any, do you feel you need to host? And anything else that you can think of that you feel must be done. Making lists helps you feel in control, and will help to reduce your stress.

Prioritize

Once you have the lists, rewrite them. Rearrange each list so that the most important things come first. If it just isn't Christmas without a tree, put that first on your decorations list. If you are obligated to attend your office holiday party, put that at the top of your party list. Go on to do the same with each list.

Simplify

Once you've prioritized your lists, you can begin to simplify. Every staircase in your house does not need a garland. Your holiday card list does not need to include everyone you've ever met, nor do you need to put a personal note on all of them. Pare down every list. Make your gift list both reasonable and affordable -- remember that getting into debt will only add to your overall stress level, and most people you know would rather have some time with you (not necessarily during the holiday season) than a beautifully wrapped, expensive gift. Really. You don't have to bake every single traditional cookie, candy, or pastry that your mother or grandmother made every season in order to have a pleasant holiday. Be ruthless with your lists; you should be able to cut every list in half, at the very least. Simpler equals less stress.

Adjust Your Expectations