From Dr. Frock’s Desk is a series of interviews where we engage with The Happy Hour’s Medical Director, Dr. Frock, to explore a psychiatrist’s insights, stories, and practical tools on a range of topics. In this edition, we are talking about having a better holiday experience: how to navigate the stress that this time can bring.
What kind of things seem to cause stress around the holidays?
To start, traveling is hard. If you’re part of a big family, you might find yourself spending a lot of time in a confined space with people you don’t have the best relationships with. The obligation to attend large family reunions or gatherings with people you don’t stay in close contact with, and whose values may differ from yours, can bring a lot of dynamics into play and bring up emotional triggers for everyone involved.
In addition, the holidays are a time that most of us associate with family, so it becomes hard not to think about those who aren’t with us anymore. This can raise a lot of grieving emotions on top of what has already been mentioned.
Over the holidays, it seems that feelings can be magnified for those who are having a hard time.
Absolutely. Think about the habits that make up your baseline that are being disrupted; from traveling, to changes in your sleep patterns, to eating and drinking differently, to not exercising as much as usual.
In addition to the grief aspect I’ve already mentioned, I also find that folks tend to get a lot of anticipatory anxiety as the holidays approach. We can’t help but think about disagreements that emerged in the past and the likelihood they could happen again.