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The holidays can be a wonderful time of the year. With the hustle and bustle of folks getting stuff for the holidays or even the exciting holiday activities from caroling and watching a Christmas light show and holiday parties at work can sometimes be a bit too much for those are easily caught up in the excitement. I know that I personally am heavily influenced by those around me and if I spend too much time at a high energy level that I end up crashing and burning sort of to speak. As an otaku (someone who is obsessed with anime, aka Japanese cartoons, and manga, also known as Japanese comics), to cope with this, I much prefer to binge read manga while listening to Christmas Classics in front of the fireplace with a blanket and hot cocoa.
Why Do the Holidays Cause Anxiety?
While there are lots of activities to look forward to during the holidays there are constantly lots of tasks to be done before the final big day. From decorating to cooking and picking out presents and traveling for the family are just to name a few stresses of Christmas. Excessive commitments are one of the main factors to stress during the holidays due to the unique pressures and expectations that come with holiday events and traditions.
Holiday Stress Can Make Existing Anxiety Worse
One of interesting things about holiday stress is that it can make those who suffer from regular anxiety, holiday stress can make it worse. Imagine this, you go from worry to what to wear for the day to worrying whether you can make it to the cleaners to get your outfits cleaned in time along with trying to juggle regular grocery shopping and then try adding a list of some ingredients that your Great Grandma passed down a tradition of making a certain unheard-of Fruit Cake.
Symptoms of anxiety can include:
- Feelings of apprehension and panic
- Rapid heartbeat
- Faster and/or more shallow breathing
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Digestive issues and/or frequent urination
Reading to the Rescue
I personally love taking time to myself during the day/night to read a good manga in front of the fireplace wrapped up in my blanket with hot cocoa and some Christmas classics playing from my 90s stereo. In fact, when growing up and parties were hosted at my place, I would love to go sit in front of our wood burning fireplace in the oversized couch just reading my manga. In fact, there are many benefits to this because it gives your body a chance to reset itself before getting over-stimulated by your environment.
