Holiday Stress is Not One of Our Blessings

According to the experts, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Between shopping, cooking, baking, gift wrapping, jobs, kids, mailing lists, office parties, and Christmas parties, there's hardly a moment to catch your breath. Yet, after the last present has been opened, the last guest has gone, and the final decorations put away, do you find yourself fulfilled, renewed, or saddened and disappointed in how you spent your holiday season?

If you're like me, you may find yourself longing for bygone days when people paused between holidays and treated each one as separate, distinct, and thus, more meaningful. Those days are behind us now, if they were ever there at all. Instead, our senses are increasingly assaulted by constant information, to-do lists, and responsibilities to our friends and loved ones.

To add even more stress, the strain on our wallets continues to rise almost unabated.

Statistically, winter holiday spending represents the most significant economic stimulus to U.S. GDP, as well as to many other nations.

According to the National Retail Federation, the U.S. retail industry is expected to generate between $957.3 and 966.6 billion dollars during November and December 2023, accounting for over 19% of annual retail sales. This year, between consumer shopping events such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa, we are each expected to spend an average of $997 on gifts for family and friends. Yet that's only a part of how we stimulate the economy.

Consider the following: in 2022, more than 2 in 5 Americans (44%) spent money on flights or hotel stays during the holiday season, spending $1,582 on average. In total, over 113 million holiday travelers spent nearly $180 billion on travel expenses, according to an analysis by NerdWallet.

This year, the number of travelers between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2023 is expected to exceed 174 million. And that's not all!

$1.28 billion purchases holiday turkeys. $6.1 billion buys Christmas trees and 1.9 billion Christmas cards are expected to be sent in November and December 2023, according to Vacationer Magazine, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, and GITNUX Market Data Report -2023, a few of many experts on the subject.?

With so much money to compete for, is there any doubt why retailers like Wal-Mart begin displaying their Christmas merchandise shortly after Labor Day? They even have employees don Santa hats and reindeer ears before most of us have had a chance to buy a Thanksgiving turkey. It's not just the retailers that feed the holiday frenzy.

Holiday Advertising

Radio stations broadcast 24 hours of Christmas music beginning in mid-November. TV stations feature Christmas specials from our youth. Movies that trumpet the image of the season run continuously on the Hallmark channel all month long.

Should we even question why some neighbors decorate their houses with Christmas ornaments the day after Halloween rather than on the more traditional day after Thanksgiving?

Why do some seemingly 'normal' and some not so 'normal' people turn Black Friday and Cyber Monday into competitive Olympic sports?

Together these events create a powerful influence on our expectations, moods, and self-image, not to mention the impact on our credit card debt. These influences affect the times we choose to attend religious services and how we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

All the distractions, hype, and glitter of the holidays can take a toll on our health. For some, the holidays only serve to deepen depression. According to Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D., a psychotherapist and author of many articles on the subject, there can be several reasons for this.

Some suffer from?Seasonal Affective Disorder. Some grapple with unresolved loss and grief. Others may be faced with substance and alcohol abuse, are isolated and alone, or feel overwhelmed.

The holidays can be particularly unsettling for older adults.?Carol Bradley Bursack, caregiver consultant and author of 'Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories,' a portable support group book for caregivers, recommends the following ten tips for addressing possible depression or loneliness during the holidays.

1. Make a point of actively listening when your loved one wants to talk, even if the discussion is negative.
2. Remind them how important they are in your life, your family members' lives, and these annual holiday celebrations.
3. Over the years, holiday cards often bring bad news and diminish in quantity. Ask family members and friends to contribute cards, photographs, or drawings to help keep seasonal mail more upbeat.
4. Focus on the real meaning of these celebrations.
5. If a senior is in a long-term care facility, check with the activities director and local schools or extracurricular programs to see if it's possible for children to do virtual or distanced visits with or performances for the residents.
6. Check with your loved one's religious organization to see if they can offer extra social and/or spiritual support.
7. Help them add festive touches to their home or room. If you can’t be with them in person, at least telephone or video call.
8. Cook traditional baked goods or treats with your loved one.
9. If traditional holiday parties or gatherings can't be held safely, call your elders' friends and family to see if they can instead attend a virtual gathering.
10. The most important thing to do with seniors is to make them feel included and loved. ?

Grief and loss, financial strain, and physical health problems also impact the mental health of older adults.

For those dealing with any of these issues, there is help. Counseling and support groups are available through organizations like the?National Alliance on Mental Health,?Mental Health America, and the?Anxiety & Depression Association of America,??or through any one of the religious denominations that devote their attention to those who are less fortunate or "left out" during the holidays.

Like many other organizations and individuals, they serve to remind us all what lies at the core of this memorable holiday season.

Dr. Ferguson offers straightforward advice for anyone seeking tips to reduce holiday stress. Among her suggestions, she encourages people to keep their expectations realistic and manageable. Put your health first. Spend time with people who love and support you. Take stock of your blessings, and never spend more time, energy, and other resources than you have just because it's the holidays.

Seems like sound advice to me.

However you choose to celebrate this holiday season, here's hoping that the spirit of the season resides less in your wallet and more in your heart in taking care of yourself and those you love.

Holiday Stress Resources

Below are sources regarding financial, fraud, and grief and loss information.

AgingCare

Fraud Watch Network??

National Adult Protective Services Association

Grief and Loss??

1. Divorce or relationship breakup
2. Loss of health
3. Losing a job
4. Loss of?financial stability
5. A miscarriage
6. Retirement
7. Death of a pet
8. A loved one's?serious illness
9. Loss of a friendship
10. Loss of safety after a trauma

#holidaystress #shoppingtrends #elderstress #meaningoftheseason

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