How to Avoid Holiday Anxiety

Can we avoid holiday anxiety? After all, it’s ingrained in our culture that the holidays are a stressful time. It’s such a cliché that it seems as though every major holiday film and TV special, from A Charlie Brown Christmas to Die Hard, is predicated on some kind of anxiety.

Avoiding Holiday Anxiety

My question is: why? Everything about the holidays is meant to be positive. We get to spend time with those we love the most. We exchange gifts to show our appreciation. If we are religious, we get to worship with those who share the same faith. Nothing I’ve said should provoke anxiety – in fact, it should do the opposite. The fact that the holidays are so stressful to so many people suggests we have our priorities entirely out of order. We can avoid holiday anxiety if we put our minds to it ("Exercises to Relieve and Reduce Anxiety").

Please watch the following video, where I expand on my thoughts on avoiding holiday anxiety.