Unwrapping Holiday Stress: How a Trauma Therapist in Atlanta Can Help You Find Peace
The holidays are often painted as a season of joy, togetherness, and magic. But for many, this time of year can feel more like a marathon of stress than a celebration. Between the pressure to create the “perfect” holiday, navigating challenging family dynamics, and balancing everyone’s expectations, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and drained. If you’ve experienced trauma or struggle with attachment wounds, the holidays can also resurface old pain, leaving you feeling stuck in a cycle of anxiety, guilt, and emotional exhaustion.
As a trauma therapist, I know how heavy the holidays can feel for those carrying the weight of unresolved wounds. But I also know that with the right support and tools, it’s possible to find peace and reclaim the season on your terms. Let’s explore how you can begin to unwrap the stress and uncover moments of calm, connection, and self-compassion this holiday season.
Is it Normal to Feel Stressed at Christmas?
Absolutely, it’s normal to feel stressed at Christmas. The holiday season often comes with a unique blend of high expectations, packed schedules, and emotional challenges. For those with unresolved trauma or difficult family relationships, the holidays can bring old wounds to the surface. Past conflicts, unspoken tensions, or simply being in the same room with certain family members can trigger unresolved feelings, leaving you emotionally raw and drained.
Listen, I’ve got family! And some of them leave me feeling emotionally exhausted with their unhealthy dynamics. The constant effort to keep the peace, manage reactions, or avoid confrontation can leave you feeling like you would rather go home and stay there or cancel the holiday season altogether. Finding ways to reclaim the holiday season as my own and set boundaries with unhealthy people has been vital for me and many of my clients to finding peace and joy during the holiday season.
It’s also important to remember that these feelings are common, and they don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. They mean you’re human. Recognizing this stress is the first step toward finding ways to make the season more manageable and meaningful for you.
What Are the Symptoms of Holiday Depression?
Holiday depression can show up in various ways, often overlapping with stress and anxiety. You may experience persistent sadness or hopelessness, even during moments that are meant to feel joyful. Fatigue, difficulty engaging in holiday activities, and changes in sleep patterns, like sleeping too much or struggling with insomnia, are also common signs. Feelings of withdrawal from social events, irritability, and emotional overwhelm may also arise, making it hard to connect with loved ones.
It's important to remember that these symptoms aren't signs of weakness but rather signals that something deeper needs attention. Recognizing these feelings is the first step toward addressing them, allowing you to seek the care and support needed to heal and find relief.
Why Does Anxiety Get Worse at Christmas?
Anxiety often worsens during the Christmas season due to a combination of external and internal pressures. The holidays bring a rush of activities—shopping, travel, hosting events, and managing commitments—that can feel overwhelming. For those managing trauma or attachment wounds, the stress of trying to keep everything together can amplify feelings of anxiety. Family gatherings, while meant to be joyful, can trigger past conflicts, rejection, or unmet emotional needs, intensifying stress, especially if you're already vulnerable in your relationships.
Additionally, societal expectations and celebrations can fuel anxiety, leaving you feeling inadequate or fearful of disappointing others. The shorter days and lack of sunlight during winter can also negatively affect mood and energy levels, further exacerbating feelings of anxiety. These combined factors can make it more difficult to stay grounded, leading to emotional overwhelm during a season that is meant to be joyful.
Signs Your Holiday Stress Might Be Linked to Trauma or Attachment Struggles
If you’ve been feeling more stressed during the holiday season, it may be connected to deeper trauma or attachment issues. Recognizing these patterns can offer insight into why the holidays feel so difficult. Constant anxiety about family gatherings, emotional overwhelm, or shutting down during tense interactions are signs that past wounds may be triggered. Overanalyzing conversations or actions, fearing rejection or conflict, can also increase anxiety and make it harder to stay present.
Additionally, difficulty setting boundaries with family or friends can lead to burnout, leaving you feeling depleted or resentful. Feeling guilty for prioritizing your own needs or skipping certain traditions may stem from old patterns of self-sacrifice or fear of disappointing others. Recognizing these signs is the first step in breaking unhealthy cycles and learning to prioritize your well-being during the holiday season.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help You Navigate Holiday Stress
Trauma therapy provides a supportive space to address the stress and emotional triggers that arise during the holiday season. By working with a trauma therapist, you can develop tools to navigate family gatherings, high expectations, and emotional overload with more confidence. Techniques like mindfulness, breathing exercises, and somatic therapies can help you stay grounded and calm during triggering moments, allowing you to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.
In trauma therapy, learning to set healthy boundaries is key. This empowers you to protect your emotional energy by saying no, limiting time with toxic individuals, or stepping away when needed without guilt. Additionally, therapy helps you shift unrealistic expectations of hoping others will change to becoming the catalyst for a different holiday experience, reducing emotional whiplash. Finding your voice through therapy allows you to advocate for your needs and maintain your sense of self, ultimately helping you move through the season with more peace and emotional resilience.
Practical Tips for Easing Holiday Stress Today
While trauma therapy provides lasting relief, there are also immediate steps you can take to ease holiday stress. Create a holiday plan by deciding in advance how much time and energy you want to devote to events, giving yourself permission to say no to draining activities. After all, it's your time and your holiday—you get to be the one who decides how you spend it.
Set boundaries by practicing saying "no" without guilt, and step back from overwhelming gatherings when needed. Find small moments of joy, like a quiet walk or watching your favorite holiday movie, to reconnect with peace. Use grounding techniques such as deep breathing or mindfulness to calm anxiety and stay present, helping you navigate the season with greater ease.
Reclaiming the Holidays with the Help of a Trauma Therapist
The holiday season doesn’t have to be synonymous with stress, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm. Working with a trauma therapist can help you process past wounds that often resurface during family gatherings, teaching you how to manage these triggers without letting them derail your peace. By learning how to identify and detach from patterns that no longer serve you, you can approach the holidays with a sense of agency and emotional resilience.
Finding Your Peace This Holiday Season
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of the holiday season, know that you are not alone. The emotions that arise—whether it’s anxiety, guilt, or the exhaustion of navigating complex family dynamics—are completely valid, and it’s okay to acknowledge them. It’s also okay to prioritize your emotional health during this time, even if that means setting boundaries or making different choices than you have in the past.
I’ve helped countless people like you find peace amidst the holiday chaos. Together, we can work to create a season that feels good for you—one where your emotional well-being comes first. You deserve to enjoy the holidays! If you're ready to take the first step toward a calmer, more fulfilling holiday experience, I invite you to schedule a free consultation with me today by clicking here.
Kristy Brewer is a therapist in Atlanta offering online therapy in Georgia helping people find peace amidst the chaos. Her specialties include trauma therapy, attachment therapy for trauma within toxic relationships, anxiety therapy, depression therapy, and parents raising a traumatized child.
Kristy is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and helps people navigate how trauma, difficult relationships, depression, and anxiety can muddy spirituality. However, you don’t need to share her faith to work with her.
Request a free 15-minute phone consultation today by clicking here.
