Surviving anxiety and stress during the Holidays amid COVID-19

When we think of the holidays, what comes to mind is happiness, joy, relaxation, and spending quality time with friends and family. However, the COVID-19 situation has imposed a profound negative impact on nearly everyone’s health and well-being. This has given additional stress and anxiety as we do not get a chance as earlier to meet with our friends and family. 

Statistics of stress and anxiety during holidays in 2020 

As per a survey conducted by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Household Pulse, 44.7% of adults have reported feelings of stress and anxiety during the holiday season amid pandemic. Another research has shown that more than 40 million fight anxiety disorder in the United States of Nation.    

This is not it. Anyone can get affected by holiday stress. Holiday seasons before COVID-19 were completely different as common activities used to include going shopping, social activities, events gathering, and many more. 

With the rising number of COVID-19 cases, most of us have shunted our holiday plans and social gatherings for safety purposes. However, this has led us to experience a different kind of stress during the holiday season due to the loss of tradition and routine we used to have before the pandemic. 

Risk Factors for Anxiety and Stress during holiday season in COVID-19 times 

There are many reasons that people may experience anxiety, but what specifically leads to stress and anxiety in holidays during a pandemic is listed below: 

• Not being able to go home for the holidays
• Feeling isolated because of the lack of social gathering
• Nostalgia of the past holiday seasons

Symptoms of holiday stress and anxiety in 2020 

Anxiety shows varied signs and symptoms to everyone dealing with it. Some may get angry; some may show other signs like nail-biting, wringing the hands, etc. Below is the list of the anxiety symptoms that are prevailing amid COVID-19 times: 

Complications of holiday stress and anxiety amid COVID-19 situation

Ways to cope with stress and anxiety during holidays in COVID-19 times 

Though the holiday season means visiting your family, there are times we have to deal with loneliness.  This is common to feel emotionally isolated and alone even if we have hundreds of people around. Thus, it adds additional stress to the sad person. However, there are certain ways in which one can control stress and anxiety: 

• Treat Yourself Well: You must accept that it is okay to be isolated at times. Utilize that time as me-time and pamper yourself. You can take a relaxing water bath and give yourself a nice spa treatment. You can spend time learning a new hobby by watching an online session in your home’s comfort. This will help you not feeling lonely but lift your spirits.
• Make Time to Meditate: Prepare your mind and body to spend the upcoming holidays calmly. Studies have proven that meditation can help in dealing with stress and anxiety of any type.
• Get Connected: Do not lose hope if you are not able to meet your friends and family physically; you can always connect with them virtually. This is the technological era where everything is just a click away. Make time to call your kith and kin, reach out to your people next door or call your old friends you haven’t spoken to in a while. This will help in reducing your feeling of isolation and loneliness.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Did you know that your eating habits and sleeping pattern can directly impact your mental health? If you do not maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, you are likely to fall prey to stress and anxiety as COVID-19 has thrown many challenges regarding overall well-being.
• Introduce CBD to your life: CBD stands for Cannabidiol, extracted from the hemp plant. Research has proven that CBD has anti-anxiety effects, which may help regulate emotions and keep you calm. You can consume CBD in multiple ways, as stated below:

1. 1. CBD Oil
   2. CBD Tinctures
   3. CBD Tablets or Pills
   4. CBD Gummies

Conclusion 

Navigating the holiday season with anxiety and stress is very challenging. It is completely normal to experience a range of emotions during the season when away from family. We believe the tips mentioned above can help you cope with the stress and anxiety of being away from family during COVID-19. 

Reference Links: 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/11/09/how-to-cope-with-extra-stress-during-2020-holiday-season/6227223002/ 

https://www.redbookmag.com/body/mental-health/a29787485/holiday-season-anxiety-and-depression/ 

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/holidays#Dealing-with-Holiday-Depression 

https://www.verywellmind.com/loneliness-and-the-holidays-3144645 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20047544