How to be happier and less stressed during the holidays, says psychologist

Americans are more anxious about the holidays this year, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Healthy Minds Poll.

Forty-one percent of U.S. adults say they anticipate more stress related to the holidays this year than last year, compared to 28% in 2024 and 29% in 2023. They list numerous reasons including missing someone in their life, dealing with the cost of holiday gifts, navigating challenging family dynamics and being lonely.

If you’re stressed out this time of year, there are tactics you can try to make the holidays more pleasant. Here’s what Sabrina Romanoff, New York–based psychologist and a relationship expert for dating app Hily, recommends.

Americans spend a lot of time on social media. Thirty-seven percent of U.S. adults visit Facebook several times a day, according to the Pew Research Center. 

With so much time spent looking at other people’s lives, it’s easy to compare what your holidays look like to what theirs do.

Making this season more pleasant “can mean muting accounts on social media that are really making you feel awful, making you feel not good enough,” says Romanoff. You can block them or unfollow them altogether.

In December, as in any time of the year, “it’s really important to be intentional about what you are seeing and consuming,” she says, “because that’s going to change the lens through which you see your own life.”

If you’re nervous about some of the people you’ll be spending time with this season, you can also tailor your experience accordingly.

That could mean, “I’m not going to make myself uncomfortable to make Aunt Karen comfortable when she asks her intrusive questions,” says Romanoff. “I’m going to let there be silence.” It could also mean giving yourself breaks during gatherings that feel overwhelming and going to another room for a few minutes.

It could even mean deciding that there are certain celebrations you’re going to skip altogether — and replace with get-togethers with your chosen family.

Ultimately, making this time of year happier and less stressful “means really showing up in a way that makes your life more comfortable for you,” she says.

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