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STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”For many, the holiday season is one of the most anticipated times of the year. It can, however, also be one of the most stressful times. Ā 

Michael R. Nadorff, assistant professor of psychology who also directs Mississippi Stateā€™s clinical psychology doctoral program, said even good or desirable changeā€”such as the transition from school or work into holiday vacationā€”can be difficult.

ā€œEven though the holidays often represent good change, the transition itself is stressful because youā€™re trying to close out of the things that you need to get done before Christmas, and then you have to pick up after Christmas,ā€ he said.

In addition to presenting financial challenges, Nadorff said the holidays can be burdensome from a relational standpoint.

ā€œYou may have family members that you donā€™t get along with who may be visiting or whom you have to go and visit,ā€ he said. ā€œEven if you love your family members, having a house made to hold three or four people that is holding seven or eight can be stressful.ā€

Holidays also can evoke negative memories, such as the loss of a friend or loved one, and expressing oneā€™s feelings verbally or via social media can be challenging, Nadorff said.

Ā ā€œEven though you may have these stressors, you donā€™t really want to be the person posting negative things on Facebook during the holidays because thatā€™s not what people put out there,ā€ he said. ā€œIf you donā€™t see people talking about the bad side, you may think youā€™re the only one who feels the way you do, but you really arenā€™t.ā€

Nadorff said one serious mood change that some individuals may experience during the winter months is Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.

ā€œItā€™s a type of depression that is really driven by the lack of sunlight that we have when the seasons change, and you see a lot more of it in the North because they have it just that much worse,ā€ he said, adding that SAD prevalence is as high as 9.7 percent in New Hampshire and as low as 1.4 percent in Florida.

Nadorff said young adults are two times more likely to experience SAD, and womenā€”who in general are more likely to experience depressionā€”are nine times more susceptible.

ā€œLess sunlight plays a role, but so does less daylight for people to be outside doing things that they enjoy,ā€ Nadorff said. ā€œIf youā€™re not able to do things that you enjoy and youā€™re just doing the things that you have to do, that contributes to a depressed mood as well.ā€

Instead of putting on a cheerful disposition and pushing through uncomfortable emotions on oneā€™s own, Nadorff said it is important for people to understand that the feelings they have and the stressors that come with the holidays are worthy of discussion and ā€œnot ridiculous or even unexpected.ā€

ā€œTheyā€™re reasonable,ā€ he said, ā€œso you have to give yourself credit for that and allow yourself to take a step back and relax. Things donā€™t have to be perfect. The holidays can be very busy, but you really need to allow yourself time to enjoy the holiday and not just be driven by it.ā€

The Ā鶹Porn Psychology Clinic is a non-profit mental health service, training and research center operated by the Department of Psychology. Learn more by calling (662) 325-0270 or visiting .

Nadorff also may be reached at MNadorff@psychology.msstate.edu.

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