Navigating Your Emotions During the Holidays

The holiday season is often portrayed as joyful, cozy, and picture-perfect. Social media feeds are filled with smiling families, sparkling lights, and beautifully wrapped gifts. Hallmark movies show endless laughter and togetherness. Yet for many people, the holidays can also bring stress, overwhelm, and emotional exhaustion. Managing mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder can feel especially difficult when expectations are high and schedules are packed.

You are not alone in feeling this way. A 2023 poll from the American Psychological Association found that 41% of adults report increased stress during the holiday season. Among individuals already living with a mental health condition, 64% say their symptoms worsen during this time of year.

Understanding your emotions and learning how to regulate them can help you move through the holidays with more balance and self-compassion.

What Is Emotional Regulation?

Emotional regulation refers to your ability to understand, manage, and respond to your feelings in healthy ways. It helps you navigate challenges without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. You can think of it as a type of “volume control” for your emotions. When your emotional regulation skills are strong, you can adjust the intensity of what you feel and how you express it.

For many people, these skills develop in childhood. Children learn through experience, guidance, and modeling how to manage anger, sadness, and excitement. That is why tantrums are common in young children but lessen as they mature. However, when stress, trauma, or mental health challenges occur, emotional regulation can become more difficult. Your emotions may feel “louder,” more unpredictable, or harder to calm down after being triggered. Therapy can help strengthen these skills and teach you new ways to respond when emotions feel out of control.

What Emotional Dysregulation Can Look Like

When your emotional “volume control” is not functioning properly, your reactions may feel intense or difficult to manage. Some signs of emotional dysregulation include:

• Difficulty steering your mood or feeling stuck in sadness, worry, or irritability

• Frequent mood swings or emotional highs and lows

• Becoming easily frustrated by small inconveniences

• Acting impulsively or making quick decisions that you later regret

• Having your emotions interfere with your goals, relationships, or responsibilities

• Periods of mania or hypomania in people with bipolar disorder

• Persistent anger or irritability between emotional outbursts

If these patterns sound familiar, you are not alone. Emotional dysregulation is common, especially during stressful times, and it can improve with self-awareness, practice, and support.

Why Emotional Regulation Feels Harder During the Holidays

The holidays can stir up complicated emotions for many reasons. Some common triggers include:

1. Disruptions to routine: Sleep schedules, eating habits, and exercise routines often shift during this season. When structure disappears, emotional balance can too.

2. Family dynamics: Gatherings can be joyful but also stressful. Old patterns, unresolved conflicts, or triggering conversations can resurface quickly.

3. Financial pressure: Gift-giving and social events can strain budgets, leading to guilt or worry about money.

4. Loneliness or grief: Not everyone has family nearby, and the absence of loved ones can feel heavier this time of year. Social media can amplify feelings of isolation when everyone else seems happy.

Recognizing these triggers early can help you plan ahead and protect your mental health.

8 Ways to Support Emotional Regulation During the Holiday Season

Below are eight simple but meaningful ways to manage your emotions and care for your mental health this holiday season.

1. Allow Yourself to Feel Your Feelings

Many people try to push away uncomfortable emotions, but suppressing feelings often makes them stronger. Instead, practice acknowledging what you feel without judgment.

If you struggle to identify your emotions, try using a “feelings wheel” or write freely in a journal. You can also record a voice note to release your thoughts. The goal is not to solve your feelings immediately but to give them space to exist. When you allow emotions to move through you rather than fighting them, they often pass more quickly.

2. Remember That You Can Say No

The holidays bring endless invitations, plans, and commitments. It is okay to set boundaries and decline events that leave you feeling drained. You do not owe everyone your time or energy, especially if certain gatherings bring up difficult memories or emotions.

Protecting your wellbeing sometimes means choosing quiet evenings over social obligations. Saying “no” kindly is not selfish; it is a way to preserve your peace.

3. Create a Budget That Feels Manageable

Financial stress is one of the biggest triggers for holiday anxiety. Creating a realistic budget before shopping for gifts or planning meals can help you feel more in control.

Consider creative alternatives such as donating to a charity in someone’s name, making homemade gifts, or starting a family gift exchange. Setting financial boundaries allows you to enjoy giving without adding unnecessary stress.

4. Prioritize Rest

Holiday schedules can throw off normal sleep routines. Between social events, kids being home, and travel, it is easy to lose track of rest. Aim for consistent sleep and at least eight hours when possible.

Create a calming bedtime environment that feels cozy and relaxing. Try dim lighting, soft music, or aromatherapy. A rested body supports a regulated mind.

5. Take Time for Yourself

Give yourself permission to pause and recharge. You might enjoy a quiet morning with tea, a few minutes of meditation, or a solo walk in nature. You do not have to be “on” all the time, even during the holidays.

Think of these moments as gifts to yourself. Resting and resetting your mind helps you show up more fully in your relationships and commitments.

6. Get Moving

Movement helps release tension, boost endorphins, and regulate mood. Choose physical activities that feel joyful rather than forced. That could mean walking through a class at a local pilates or yoga studio in Monmouth County, or visiting the boardwalk in Asbury Park for a peaceful seaside stroll.

Even gentle stretching or dancing around your kitchen can improve your mood. The goal is not perfection but consistency and enjoyment.

7. Get Some Sunlight

Shorter winter days can impact energy and mood. Sunlight exposure helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which influences sleep, focus, and emotional wellbeing.

Try to step outside during daylight hours, even for a few minutes. If you work indoors, sit near a window or use a light therapy lamp. For some people, decreased sunlight contributes to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression triggered by seasonal changes. If you notice persistent sadness or fatigue, reach out to a mental health professional. Therapy and treatment are effective and can make a big difference in how you feel.

8. Connect With Community

Loneliness can intensify during the holidays, especially for those who have lost loved ones or live far from family. Connection is essential for emotional health.

Consider volunteering at Fulfill Food Bank in Neptune, NJ or JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, which both need extra support during the winter season. You can also attend a free event such as a Monmouth County Silent Book Club meet-up or participate in local community events in Eatontown. Building relationships through shared interests fosters belonging and helps ease feelings of isolation.

9. Reach Out for Professional Support

If you are experiencing persistent sadness, anxiety, or mood swings that feel difficult to manage, therapy can help. Talking with a licensed therapist provides a safe space to explore your emotions and learn personalized tools for emotional regulation.

At Explore Within in Eatontown New Jersey, therapy supports individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, stress, and other mental health challenges. Both in-person sessions and telehealth options across New Jersey are available to make care accessible and flexible for your schedule.

Support is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you value your mental health and are ready to take steps toward balance.

Closing Thoughts

Do not let the holidays become something you dread. With planning, self-awareness, and compassion, you can create a season that feels calmer, more meaningful, and aligned with your needs.

If you’re ready to explore starting therapy, reach out to Marie DiMatteo in Eatontown, NJ today.