The holidays can be a wonderful time of the year. It’s a time for celebration and spending quality time with your friends and family.

But the holidays can also be overwhelming and stressful. There’s usually higher expenses and more demands on your time. There may be a lot going on during this time – gatherings with family and friends, holiday events, etc. While these things are fun and exciting, they disrupt your regular routine and can add to what you already have going on. This can cause you to feel stressed, overwhelmed if you take on too much – it’s called holiday burnout.

Holiday burnout happens when you’re stressed and overwhelmed by the demands, expectations, pressures, and activities around the holidays.

The signs and symptoms of holiday burnout can include:

• Increased feelings of stress and anxiety

• Feeling drained

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Irritability

• Having difficulties sleeping; insomnia or oversleeping

• Changes in appetite; loss of appetite or overeating

• Loss of interest in things

There are many ways to prevent and manage holiday burnout:

1. Recognize the signs

The most important thing is to be aware of how you’re feeling and recognize when you begin to feel overwhelmed. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of holiday burnout, give yourself a break, even if you feel like you can’t. It’s important to take some time for yourself to give your mind and body what it needs.

2. Set boundaries

During the holidays, it can be hard to say no, whether it’s a family event or a gift you feel obligated to buy. But setting boundaries is important to prevent burnout. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to say no. Planning out your holidays can also help you set boundaries. Think about what you can manage – maybe it’s choosing one or two holiday events to go to, or maybe it’s staying in a hotel instead of staying with family. Remember that you’re allowed to set limits and boundaries and do what feels best for you.

3. Manage your expectations

Managing your expectations of the holidays can also help you prevent holiday burnout. It’s easy to get caught up in what you want your holidays to look like. Whether that’s a house full of friends and family, a massive holiday dinner, a fully decorated house, or baking 15 different types of holiday cookies. But try and take a step back and think about what you can reasonably handle – maybe instead of making a huge dinner for everyone, you have a potluck, or maybe instead of baking 15 different types of cookies, you choose a couple of your favourites. Learning to manage your expectations of the holidays and being okay with those expectations can help you avoid getting burned out.

4. Make time for self-care

Practicing self-care is essential for all aspects of your mental and physical health. When you’re feeling overly stressed or overwhelmed, self-care can help prevent burnout. During the holidays, it’s important to schedule in time to practice self-care. Whether that’s getting some physical activity for 30-minutes a day, taking a nap, or taking a day to relax and replenish. It’s all about taking the time to take care of yourself mentally and physically so that you can function at your best.

If you notice someone in your life is exhibiting some of the signs of holiday burnout, there are ways that you can support them:

• Listen to them, what they’re going through

• Encourage them to take a break

• Offer to help them in ways that you’re able to

• Suggest that they talk to a professional

As the holidays approach, make your mental health a priority. The holidays are a busy time of year that can be exciting and fun, but also stressful and overwhelming for some. It’s important to manage your expectations of the holidays and try to set limits and boundaries for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to say no if you have too much going on, and remember to take care of yourself too.

Information for this blog post was provided by registered psychologist, Krista Beck and registered social worker, Sarah Mateshaytis. Learn more about our counsellors.