(Cam Lee/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

Holiday anxiety

Holidays aren’t a time for joy for everyone

Dec 30, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The holiday season is often associated with family, togetherness, and positivity.

It’s not like that for everyone.

From anxiety over holiday gatherings to bad memories of years past, the end of 2023 may not be something to look forward to for some.

Leanne Normand, a registered counsellor with Simply Be Counselling at the Melfort Wellness Centre, said these types of concerns and feelings are often not shared.

“I think it is good to talk about it, normalize it, how hard it can be around the holidays,” Normand told northeastNOW.

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She said it’s important to remember that anyone feeling anxious or depressed during this time of year is not alone.

“It seems like everyone is happy or they’re enjoying themselves, it’s all good, and I think we don’t see the hurt and the pain that others have,” Normand explained. “Most of us have these hard, difficult feelings, whether it’s loss of loved ones, memories of the past…just the stress of the everyday.”

She said communication can help sort out those feelings.

“Maybe even being brave enough to voice it to trusted others like ‘hey, this is really hard right now’,” Normand said, adding that person may feel the same way.

Another stressor during this time of year can be financial pressure, due to the costs associated with Christmas. Normand said that can often come about if people think they need to keep up to a certain ‘standard’ during the holidays that perhaps they can’t afford, instead of focusing on what may really be important and meaningful during the holidays.

New Year’s Eve can also bring pressure or expectations for many to overindulge in alcohol or drugs. Normand said it’s important to think about what you as an individual truly want, rather than what society or peers are pressuring you to do.

She added it’s important for you to reflect on what you want to do, and what your goal is for New Year’s Eve.

“What would make New Year’s Eve good for you this year,” Normand explained. “In the long run, how would you want to feel when you wake up New Year’s Day?”

Focusing on how you want to begin your year is a solid approach, said Normand, rather than thinking about that one night.

For those thinking of making major changes to themselves in 2024, Normand suggested taking it slow, and not thinking about the big picture.

“Think of one small thing that you can change, right now, today, that can move you towards a goal that you want for yourself, or that can move you in a direction that you want your life to go, or who you want to be,” Normand said. “Change happens the best, and the most long-lasting, if we can do one small change at a time.”

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com