The holidays are known to make people feel all types of emotions—excited, anxious, stressed—and sometimes a rollercoaster of them all wrapped in one. While some wait all year to finally feel happiness around the holidays, many suffer from seasonal depression and anxiety. We feel the need to make everyone happy and spend so much time planning, buying and rushing around that we lose track of making ourselves happy. It’s important to laugh off the stress because even though it’s a crazy, huge build-up for just one day—it ends up being all worth it in the end.
1. Anxiously impatient
Even as adults, we can't help but to feel like a little kid on Christmas. And every single day leading up to it throughout the entire month of December. While some get seasonal depression as soon as Christmastime arrives, others morph into that overly-excessive, holiday-spirited, joyful little elf frolicking about in their own little Christmas wonderland.
2. Fat and intoxicated
With all the parties, outings, and de-stressing, people seem to indulge and consume more alcohol during the holiday season. Studies show that people eat more during the winter because of the colder months. There's just something about the shorter days and chilly weather that changes our appetites. It's also something about the aspect of "comfort food" and how indulgence really hits home during the holidays. People drink more because of more social activity and well, because there's nothing else to do when it's below freezing outside.
3. The adrenaline rush of last-minute shopping
I don't know what's worse, Black Friday shopping or Christmas shopping the week of. They both can be a dangerous time. But there's just something about when everything finally comes together at the last minute after driving yourself crazy. According to a RetailMeNot Survey, 30% of people wait until the week of Christmas to do their holiday shopping. Americans are definitely procrastinators. Good luck out there on Christmas eve and may the odds be ever in your favor.
4. The annoyance of redundant Christmas music
This also seems to have a 50/50 toss-up between people who love the holiday tunes or completely can't stand when the stations play Christmas music on 24-hour repeat. All in all, it wouldn't be Christmas without both classic and corny Christmas carols.
5. The Christmas movie feels
Classic Christmas movies are timeless and are a part of the holiday that really puts us into our feelings. Cuddling up on the couch watching them with just about anybody is one of the best ways to get into the holiday spirit.
6. Pre-holiday anxiety
Those who don't manage stress very well in everyday life are especially prone to seasonal stress and anxiety. A study by the American Psychological Association found that women and middle-class Americans are more likely to feel their stress increase rather than decrease during the holidays.
7. Post-holiday depression
There's something about the huge build-up of Christmas that makes actual holiday fly by. After all the crazy hustle and bustle, one it's all said and done, people tend to get the post-holiday blues. As if seasonal depression wasn't bad enough, we spend a whole month building up to one quick Christmas day and then it's back to business as usual. Womp Womp Womp.
8. Delirium
While some get off to the insanity of the holidays, others just can't seem to handle it year after year. With so much time rushing around, planning and attending parties, buying thoughtful yet practical gifts for everyone, cooking, cleaning, getting a Christmas tree, decorating the house, last-minute shopping and getting it all done in a few short weeks, it's bound to be a recipe for disaster. It's the most delirious time of the year.
9. Warm and fuzzies and family love
Among all the stress, anxiety, depression, drama or overly excessive Christmas spirit, the most important thing about the holidays is to appreciate your loved ones, be thankful for what you have and celebrate the beauty of living life because it's way too short to feel any other way.