❄️ Holiday Survival Guide: Mental Health Resources for the Season
The holidays can come with warmth, connection, and joy—but also with stress, triggers, and expectations that don’t always feel manageable. This guide breaks down common stressors and gives you take-home tools plus trusted resources to navigate them.
In this guide, we cover:
A gentle, yet important note: These tips are meant to help you navigate common holiday stressors and emotional challenges. They can be a helpful starting point, but they’re not a substitute for therapy or medical advice. If your distress feels heavy, persistent, or hard to manage, you’re not alone — connecting with a licensed mental health professional can provide the personalized support and care you deserve.
Managing Social Anxiety
Holiday gatherings often pack together lots of social interaction, new faces, small talk, performance mode, and unfamiliar dynamics. For many people, this brings up anxiety about how you’ll show up, what you’ll say, or how you’ll feel. According to therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, “You don’t have to try to make this the happiest time of the year, but there are steps you can take to cope with the holidays.”
Practical Tools For Managing Social Anxiety
Pre-pick 2–3 “go-in” safe topics that you feel comfortable discussing (books, movies, hobbies). Having these ready means less scrambling. And during the holiday season, there are lots of questions you can ask people to get them talking, such as “What are your favorite holiday movies?”
Ground when you feel triggered: pause, breathe, name 3 things you see / 2 you hear / 1 you feel. Even a 60-second reset helps.
Choose one person you trust as your “safe person” at the gathering—check in with them when you feel anxious.
Coping with Food, Body Image, & Disordered Eating Triggers
Holidays revolve around food, gatherings, traditions—these can intersect with body image concerns, diet culture, disordered eating triggers, or plain discomfort with “all the food and talk about food.” One piece notes the holiday food and body-image triggers are real—and you do not have to let them hijack your season.
Practical Tools For Coping with Food, Body Image, and Disordered Eating Triggers
Set a “body image boundary script” ahead: e.g., “I’d prefer not to talk about diets or weight at dinner” or “I’m working on body neutrality, so I’d rather not discuss how anyone looks tonight.” You can say it kindly but firmly.
Practice thought labeling. When negative thoughts about food or your body arise, try to name them for what they are — “That’s a critical thought” or “That’s diet culture talking.” This CBT tool helps create distance between you and the thought so it feels less true or urgent.
Use a permission statement: “This dish is part of the tradition. My body deserves nourishment and connection.” Changing the story around food helps.
Redirect conversations that trigger you: if talk slides into triggering topics, have a fallback: “I’d love to hear more about your travel plans” or step out for fresh air.
For more tips & resources, watch our on-demand webinar on disordered eating & the holidays here.
Navigating Social Pressures Around Substances
Holiday parties often mean alcohol, other substances, pressure to “just have one,” comparisons (“everyone’s relaxing”), or feeling out of alignment with the event’s norms. For people in recovery, or those avoiding substances for health or personal reasons, this is a real stressor.
Practical Tools For Navigation Social Pressures Around Substances
At holiday parties where there is a toast or seasonal drink ritual, plan ahead what you’ll hold in your hand (e.g., sparkling water or a mocktail) so when the toast happens you’re aligned with your plan and not caught off guard.
Increase community support throughout the season. Many support groups will have additional sessions & resources during the holiday season.
Pre-write a response script you’re comfortable with: e.g., “I’ve committed to staying sober tonight,” or “I’m switching to non-alcoholic drinks tonight, thanks.”
Bring a social buffer: know how you’ll exit if you feel the pressure is too much—walk outside, call/text a friend, leave a little early.
Identify a sober-support buddy or check-in partner who knows your plan and will support you.
Reframe the narrative: instead of “everyone else is drinking so I should,” use “I’m choosing what aligns with my future self.”
Handling Sensory Overwhelm in Crowded, Noisy, or Unfamiliar Spaces
Big crowds, bright lights, loud music, overlapping conversations—holiday venues often amplify sensory input and can overload your nervous system. In an article on holiday stress, experts recommend planning before, during, and after the event for stimulus management.
Practical Tools For Handling Sensory Overwhelm in Crowded, Noisy, or Unfamiliar Spaces
Scout ahead if possible: Arrive early, find a calm corner or quiet space in the venue so you know your options.
Schedule a “quiet zone break”: even in a party setting, choose a 10-minute pause outside, in the car, or in a calm room.
Carry a sensory toolkit with earplugs/noise-cancelling headphones, a small calming scent (e.g., a lavender sachet), a small object to fidget with, or a favorite sweater or blanket.
💡Tips from others who relate: People who experience sound sensitivity often recommend loop earplugs to help reduce background noise while staying engaged in conversation. No affiliation here — just something that’s genuinely helped some of our clients.
Use a respite breathing pattern: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2, exhale for 6 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times to calm the nervous system.
Managing Financial Stress and Expectations Around Giving
Gift-giving, hosting dinners, travel, and family visits—all of these carry financial cost and emotional weight. The implicit “everyone else is spending more,” “I should give more,” or “the decorations have to be perfect” can bring guilt, anxiety, and stress.
Practical Tools For Managing Financial Stress and Expectations Around Giving
Identify your “should” statements. Notice thoughts like “I should spend more” or “I should match what others give.” Challenge those gently: “Is that really a requirement?” This tool helps separate internalized guilt from genuine intention.
Set a clear budget ahead of time for gifts, travel, and hosting. Share it if needed: “I’m working with a $XYZ budget this year.”
Offer alternative gift models: quality time, homemade gifts, shared experiences instead of high-cost material items.
Use the “last-year test”: Ask yourself, “How many of last year’s gifts are truly remembered or still meaningful?” This helps reduce pressure to overspend.
Open a conversation with family/friends: “Let’s talk about expectations this year so we’re all on the same page.” This often relieves tension.
Setting Boundaries and Protecting Your Peace
All the stressors above often come back to boundary issues: saying yes when you want to say no, over-committing, staying in draining conversations, and feeling obligated to perform a certain way. Healthy boundaries = protecting your mental health. Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab, author and boundary-specialist, emphasizes that “the boundaries we set help us guard our energy.”
Practical Tools For Setting Boundaries and Protecting Your Peace
Write in advance your “non-negotiables” for this season (e.g., “I will leave by 9 pm,” “No talk about diets/weight with me,” “I need a 30-minute recharge after any group event”).
Give yourself permission to disappoint people. It’s okay if someone is unhappy with your limits — that discomfort doesn’t mean you’re wrong for having them. Boundaries protect your capacity, not others’ expectations.
Practice the simple response phrase: “Thank you for the invite—I can join from X to Y; after that, I’ll step away.”
Use “when/then” boundary planning. Before gatherings, identify your signals of overwhelm and what you’ll do when they show up. Example: “When I start to feel tense or irritable, then I’ll step outside for five minutes or excuse myself to get water.” This tool turns boundaries into action steps, not just intentions.
For more tips & resources, watch our on-demand webinar on setting boundaries here.
You Can Survive The Holiday - With a Little Help
The holidays don’t have to be perfect, and they certainly don’t have to be exhausting. If you find you're not just stressed but feeling persistently anxious, low-mood, overwhelmed, or triggered—please know you deserve support right now (not just after). Don’t wait for January.
If you’re currently feeling more than “holiday stress,” reach out to Samata Health or one of our licensed therapists to find support now.
