Managing Stress and Finding Help During the Holidays

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Health Equity Monthly Focus
By Anita Ramsetty, MD, Director of Health Equity

December 2024

During this two-month stretch of major holidays for many around the United States—from Thanksgiving through Lunar New Year—there is often a lot to celebrate. For many people, however, this is a time of increased stress and symptoms of depression. The general public often reports higher stress, especially due to financial issues. For certain subgroups, this is even more pronounced. This includes elderly living alone, those who recently lost a loved one, LGBTQ+ individuals and those struggling with financial stress throughout the year. One can only imagine the stress and risk of depression for those in more dire life conditions including dealing with a major illness or experiencing homelessness.

How people cope can vary tremendously, and includes healthy supportive ways such as reaching out to help lines or trusted friend circles. Sometimes they cope in less helpful and sometimes harmful ways such as binge eating and increased substance use.

At this time of year, we encourage everyone to expand your circle if possible to include those who may have less social support, in any way that you can. If you personally are struggling, please reach out to your healthcare provider for support and guidance to resources that may help. In addition to addressing changes in mood, our new community resource website, FindHelp, can help connect you to resources that address a variety of needs. These supports are essential for navigating this season and moving forward into the new year.