Recently, I came across a reel on Instagram by one of my favorite comedians, Kevin Fredericks (@kevonstage). In it, he laments about his upcoming busy weekend, saying the tiredness that was to come would be so great that he was experiencing a “pre-tired” tiredness that morphed into a pre-tired anxiety. Naturally, his delivery was comical and relatable, but to an extent which made me think about the amount of pre-tireds and pre-anxieties we experience all the time and especially as the holidays rapidly approach.
Making sense of the dread that reappears every Halloween is easier than it might seem.
The holiday season is generally anticipated in a vibrant, exciting light. Everyone looks forward to the feel-good energy that comes from the music, lights, baking, events, and family. So why do we feel a sense of betrayal when the first of the artificial Christmas trees hit the sales floor before we’ve gotten to carve pumpkins?
Halloween is a time that lacks pressure to align with what is “right.” We get to embrace darkness and death; spooky thoughts are highly encouraged! Then at the strike of midnight, your pumpkin turns into an Elf on the Shelf and Thanksgiving through New Years is supposed to be full of love, joy, gratitude, forgiveness, reflection, and good cheer. The Pre-Holiday Anxiety is activated.
The holidays are not simply full of joy; they come with a lot of stressful conditions.
Various holiday events that we claim to enjoy so much like family get-togethers, holiday parties, etc. can be utterly exhausting for just about anyone. Even if you genuinely look forward to them and enjoy yourself, at some point the pressures of hosting, cooking, dressing up, or having to present yourself a certain way can produce a negative effect.
Family might expect you to show up when you don’t want to and participate in traditions revolving around beliefs you no longer share, while co-workers might want you to come to the company parties that you have no desire to attend and encourage you to drink more than you’re comfortable with.
Maybe you’ve been on a health journey and really struggle with overindulging in the food and alcohol that is present around every corner, or maybe you don’t have the funds to keep up with the expectations of gift-giving. Most of all, sometimes simply seeing everybody else have a good time in an overly happy environment when you are coping with loss or depression can be enough to send you to a dark place mentally.
With your strength and the proper tools, you have what it takes to thrive this season.
These are extremely common struggles. At Simply Psych, we want to help. It is crucial to address these anxieties head-on before the start of it all because it can help to better navigate the holiday season in ways that best suit you. You deserve to experience joy.
In our upcoming blogs, we will discuss what anxieties we face around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years in the categories of family and friends, food and alcohol, and finances. We will talk about boundaries, communication, and checking in with ourselves. The holidays can be rough, but we are in this together. Follow along with us!
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