Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—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.  

Michael R. Nadorff, assistant professor of psychology who also directs Mississippi State’s clinical psychology doctoral program, said even good or desirable change—such as the transition from school or work into holiday vacation—can be difficult.

“Even though the holidays often represent good change, the transition itself is stressful because you’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,” he said.

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

“You may have family members that you don’t get along with who may be visiting or whom you have to go and visit,” he said. “Even 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.”

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

 “Even though you may have these stressors, you don’t really want to be the person posting negative things on Facebook during the holidays because that’s not what people put out there,” he said. “If you don’t see people talking about the bad side, you may think you’re the only one who feels the way you do, but you really aren’t.”

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

“It’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,” 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 women—who in general are more likely to experience depression—are nine times more susceptible.

“Less sunlight plays a role, but so does less daylight for people to be outside doing things that they enjoy,” Nadorff said. “If you’re not able to do things that you enjoy and you’re just doing the things that you have to do, that contributes to a depressed mood as well.”

Instead of putting on a cheerful disposition and pushing through uncomfortable emotions on one’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 “not ridiculous or even unexpected.”

“They’re reasonable,” he said, “so you have to give yourself credit for that and allow yourself to take a step back and relax. Things don’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.”

The Mississippi State University 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 http://clinic.psychology.msstate.edu.

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

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.