How to navigate holiday stress

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- What can be seen as the most wonderful time of the year for some can also be the most stressful time of the year for others. 

The holiday season can come with increased responsibilities, expenses and social pressures, especially on the heels of a divisive election. No matter what is causing the stress, Dr. Scott Gspandl of OhioHealth said it can be trial and error finding what works best for dealing with the stress.  

“There's lots of different mindfulness-based exercises, progressive muscle, relaxation, breathing exercises that can help ground somebody in a time of stress where their mind feels like it's kind of taking them to a number of unhelpful places,” he said. 

Gspandl said nearly 40% of people report increased stress surrounding the holidays, whether it’s trouble with family or a financial burden.  

“It is stressful needing to get gifts for everyone and being home can be stressful,” Ohio State sophomore Sam Baccei said. 

Grandl said that when feeling stressed about gifts, people should try to remember that the true meaning of the holidays is spending time with each other.  

“It's so easy to put this expectation on ourselves that we have to pick the perfect present or that it has to reach some financial threshold, but at the end of the day, the thing that ultimately has the biggest impact on our friends and loved ones is spending time with them,” he said.  

Some Ohio State students said they are excited to head to their hometowns for Thanksgiving and see family, but they are also dreading some conversations following the election. 

“I think they're going to try not to talk about it and conversation will definitely come up,” Ohio State sophomore Megumi Agerton said. “We'll see how that goes.” 

She said she’s prepared for some divisive conversations.  

“I feel like I'm definitely outnumbered in the family that I'm going to go visit, so I'll probably stay quiet and pick my fights when I can,” Agerton said. 

Gspandl recognized that family trouble can sometimes be the cause for stress around the holidays and said it’s important to recognize when a conversation is no longer productive. 

“It's always reasonable to just say, ‘Hey, you know, I'd prefer not talk about this today,’” he said.  

Whatever it is that is causing mental health struggles, Gspandl said you should never feel like your problems are too small to seek help.  

“It's much easier to treat somebody for mild symptoms, for moderate symptoms than it is when these biological changes have become more severe and have been going on for years,” he said.  

For more about OhioHealth’s mental health resources click here.