Dealing with Holiday Stress

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Stress and anxiety can take the joy out of the holidays. New Mexico State University's Anna María Pérez-Wright has ideas for dealing with these feelings.

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For many people, holiday time brings stress at home. Marriage and family therapy professor Robert Del Campo with New Mexico State University's College of Agriculture and Home Economics says anxiety over the holidays can keep us from feeling festive.

"We want to feel the spirit of the season, but we're too overwhelmed with getting things done at work, and getting things done at home, and getting the Christmas cards out and baking the cookies, and wrapping the gifts, and we're just frazzled."

Del Campo says when you're feeling frustrated or tense, don't fight it. It's important to deal with those emotions. But, he says, try not to let this stress interfere with your family relationships.

"You know, you're driving home from work, and you're thinking ‘I've got to bake cookies, I've got to wrap those gifts and get them in the mail' and you're all frazzled. Let yourself be like that, but say to yourself, ‘the moment I hit the garage and I turn the key off, I'm going to put on a smile and I'm going to enjoy my kids and enjoy the excitement of the holidays.'"

Del Campo says it's normal to feel stressed during the holidays, but it's best to let yourself deal with the anxiety so you can share goodwill with your family, instead of tension. For N-M-S-U's College of Agriculture and Home Economics, I'm Anna María Pérez-Wright.