Holiday Anxiety Is Real—But What If This Year Turns Out Better Than You Expect?
Understanding holiday stress, finding steadier ground, and learning how counseling can support you through the season
For many people, the holidays bring more than joy… they bring holiday anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and increased stress that can feel difficult to explain or manage. Whether it’s family dynamics, grief, financial pressure, or the weight of expectations, holiday stress is real, and it affects people of all ages and backgrounds. In this article, we’ll explore why holiday anxiety happens, how to cope with holiday anxiety in practical, realistic ways, and when working with an anxiety therapist near you may help. We’ll also share how holiday anxiety counseling in Michigan, including counseling in Kalamazoo, therapy in Portage, MI, and virtual therapy across Michigan, can support you this season. Finally, we’ll introduce a meaningful, hands-on Healing Through the Holidays activity, rooted in the Japanese art of kintsugi, that can be done individually or with family to promote reflection, connection, and healing during Christmas, New Year’s, or any new season.
Why Holiday Anxiety Feels So Intense for So Many People
Holiday anxiety doesn’t come out of nowhere. It often builds quietly, weeks before the actual celebrations begin. Schedules fill up. Expectations rise. Emotional reminders surface—sometimes unexpectedly.
For some, the holidays highlight what’s missing: loved ones who are no longer here, relationships that have changed, or traditions that no longer feel the same. For others, this season magnifies financial stress, social obligations, or unresolved family conflict. Even positive events, like gatherings or travel, can trigger anxiety when they disrupt routines or personal boundaries.
What’s important to understand is this: holiday stress doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It means your nervous system is responding to increased emotional, mental, and relational demand.
Anxiety therapists often see an uptick in clients this time of year not because people are “failing” the holidays, but because the holidays ask more of us than we often realize.
Common Signs of Holiday Stress and Anxiety
Holiday anxiety can look different for everyone, but there are some patterns therapists frequently see during Christmas and New Year’s.
You may notice:
Racing thoughts or constant worry about upcoming events
Feeling emotionally drained before the holidays even arrive
Trouble sleeping or increased irritability
Avoidance of gatherings or conversations
Physical symptoms like headaches, stomach tension, or fatigue
A sense of guilt for not feeling “grateful enough” or joyful
Many people searching online for “how to cope with holiday anxiety” are already carrying these experiences and wondering if what they’re feeling is normal.
It is.
And it’s also something you don’t have to navigate alone.
What If This Year Is Different—Not Perfect, Just More Supported?
The idea that the holidays must feel magical or meaningful all the time sets an unrealistic bar. A healthier question might be:
What if this year turns out better than you expect, not because everything goes right, but because you’re better supported?
Support does not mean avoiding discomfort entirely. It means having tools, insight, and compassion for yourself when emotions surface.
This shift from “How do I get through this?” to “How can I care for myself through this?” is often where real relief begins.
Practical Ways to Cope With Holiday Anxiety (That Don’t Require Perfection)
Managing holiday stress doesn’t require elaborate routines or forcing positivity. Often, it’s the small, intentional choices that matter most.
Helpful strategies many therapists recommend include:
Setting clear boundaries around time, energy, and expectations
Noticing personal triggers ahead of gatherings or traditions
Allowing flexibility in traditions that no longer serve you
Prioritizing rest, even when schedules feel full
Practicing moments of grounding or gratitude when accessible
Offering yourself kindness on the days that feel heavy
These approaches are not about doing the holidays “right.” They’re about honoring your capacity.
And sometimes, self-care also includes reaching out for professional support.
When Holiday Anxiety Counseling Can Make a Meaningful Difference
If holiday anxiety feels overwhelming, persistent, or connected to deeper emotional pain, working with a therapist can be especially helpful during this season.
Many people look for:
An anxiety therapist near me who understands seasonal stress
A therapist in Portage, MI or counseling in Kalamazoo who offers in-person support
Virtual therapy in Michigan that fits busy or unpredictable schedules
At Set Apart Counseling, clinicians support individuals, teens, and families navigating holiday anxiety counseling in Michigan, helping clients:
Understand emotional patterns tied to the season
Develop coping strategies that feel realistic and sustainable
Process grief, loss, or relational stress
Reduce anxiety without judgment or pressure
Therapy during the holidays doesn’t mean something is “wrong.” It means you’re choosing support during a demanding time.
Healing Through the Holidays — A Reflective Activity Inspired by Kintsugi
Healing doesn’t always happen through conversation alone. For many people, especially during emotionally loaded seasons like Christmas and New Year’s, hands-on reflection can feel safer, more accessible, and more grounding than words.
The Healing Through the Holidays activity offered through Set Apart Counseling is inspired by kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Rather than hiding cracks, kintsugi honors them—treating repair as part of the object’s story, not something to disguise.
This activity is available as a downloadable resource, thoughtfully designed to be used:
Individually
With families
In group or workshop settings
In therapy sessions or at home
It’s intentionally flexible, allowing people to engage at their own pace and comfort level.
Why Reflective Activities Can Be Especially Helpful During Holiday Anxiety
When someone is experiencing holiday anxiety or holiday stress, their nervous system is often already overloaded. Talking through everything at once can feel overwhelming.
Creative, reflective activities offer something different:
A physical outlet for emotion
A way to process experiences without pressure to “explain”
A grounding experience that keeps the body engaged
Space for meaning-making rather than problem-solving
For individuals searching for how to cope with holiday anxiety, this kind of approach can feel more supportive than forcing positivity or pushing through discomfort.
Clinician Perspective — Reflections From Faith Bartnik, LLMSW
Faith Bartnik, a therapist at Set Apart Counseling, shares:
“Although the holidays are often portrayed as a joyful and bright time of year, for many of us they can bring up very different feelings. This season may be a reminder of what has been lost, invite memories of people or places connected to pain, or increase financial, emotional, and daily stressors.”
She emphasizes that these reactions are natural and far more common than many people realize.
“For many people, simply moving through the holidays can feel heavy or overwhelming. While we cannot always change what this season brings, it can offer an opportunity to pause and notice what we may need most right now.”
This activity was created with that pause in mind, an invitation to slow down, reflect, and engage with what’s present rather than pushing it away.
Using the Activity as a Family or Group Experience
While the Healing Through the Holidays activity can be meaningful individually, many people choose to use it as a family-centered or group experience, especially during Christmas or New Year’s.
Families often find that it:
Opens conversation gently, without forcing disclosure
Gives children and teens a way to express emotions nonverbally
Creates shared meaning without requiring everyone to feel the same way
Encourages empathy, patience, and understanding
It can be especially helpful for families navigating grief, change, or heightened stress during the holidays.
Adapting the Activity Beyond Christmas and New Year’s
Although originally created for the holiday season, this reflective activity is intentionally adaptable for use throughout the year.
Clients and clinicians have found it meaningful during:
Anniversaries or remembrance dates
Life transitions (moves, graduations, new roles)
Times of grief or loss
Periods of high stress or burnout
Other holidays that bring mixed emotions
Different objects can be used to symbolize similar themes of repair, resilience, and care, making the activity relevant across seasons and stages of life. (picture frame, small ceramic bowl, decorative vase, a tile, etc)
Optional Christian Reflection… Always Client-Led
For those who wish to integrate faith into their healing process, this activity can also be paired with an optional Christian reflection particularly meaningful during the Christmas season.
As Faith shares:
“There are times when life can feel shaped by difficult experiences, but caring for ourselves with intention and compassion can help us move through hardship in a way that feels more manageable.”
Christian integration at Set Apart Counseling is always optional and guided by the client. Some find comfort in faith-based symbolism during the holidays; others prefer a fully secular approach. Both are respected.
When Holiday Anxiety Feels Like More Than You Can Carry Alone
While reflective activities can be powerful, they are not a replacement for support when anxiety feels persistent or overwhelming.
Many people looking for:
An anxiety therapist near me
A therapist in Portage, MI
Counseling in Kalamazoo
Virtual therapy in Michigan
are simply seeking steadier ground during a demanding season.
Holiday anxiety counseling in Michigan can help individuals:
Understand emotional triggers tied to the season
Develop realistic coping strategies
Navigate grief, family stress, or burnout
Feel less alone with what they’re carrying
Support doesn’t require a crisis—it can begin with curiosity and care.
A Gentle Invitation
This season consider doing things differently… since the only person we can control is ourselves it is important to focus on what we can do. If you are looking for a gentle way to open conversation with friends and family, consider the activity we have created for you. If what you are looking for is more personal growth focused, consider to reaching out to one of our clinicians here at Set Aart Counseling.
Support for Holiday Anxiety in Portage, Kalamazoo, and Across Michigan
Set Apart Counseling offers support for individuals, teens, and families navigating holiday stress and anxiety, including:
Stress management counseling in Portage, MI
Counseling in Kalamazoo
Virtual therapy in Michigan for flexible access
Whether through therapy, reflective resources, or both, support is available at a pace that feels right for you.
Closing Reflection
Holiday anxiety is real but it doesn’t mean you’re failing the season. Sometimes, healing begins not by fixing what feels broken, but by approaching it with intention, compassion, and care.
If you’re ready to explore support, we’re here when you are.