Managing Financial Stress During the Holiday Season

Managing Financial Stress During the Holiday Season

By Cydnei Quinn, Master Level Clinical Intern

When the leaves begin to fall, the air turns crisp, and you’re digging through your closet trying to remember where you hid that bulky winter coat, it’s clear that winter is on its way and with it often comes something a little less magical: the slow, steady shrinking of the money in your wallet. For some, extra spending is a small inconvenience, but for many others it can bring real stress—especially when you’re trying to support yourself, help others, and still enjoy the holidays.

But, ’tis the season for taking care of yourself, too! Let’s walk through some helpful tools that can make managing financial stress during the holidays feel a little more doable.

1: Plan and Budget Your Finances

Understand Monthly Expenses

Tracking your expenses gives you a clearer picture of how you’re spending your money and helps you make more confident decisions. It also sheds light on purchases that may be holding you back. With this simple tool, you can plan ahead, avoid overspending, and make progress on debt.

Track Essential Expenses

Knowing which expenses truly matter helps you identify what can be adjusted and what needs to remain unchanged. Essentials like rent or mortgage payments, car notes, groceries, electricity, and water aren’t negotiable—but there are still small ways to save. For example, buying only the groceries you need can help reduce waste (and avoid those sneaky impulse snacks that quietly increase your budget each month). It may be helpful to download an expenses tracking app or website to get a full breakdown of your expenses.

Track Entertainment Expenses

Streaming services, concerts, meals out, ride-shares, and subscriptions all add up. By deciding which entertainment expenses you truly use and enjoy—and which you can pause or cancel—you can free up funds you may need more urgently during the season.

2: Notice Signs of Stress

Stress and anxiety can feel like a heavy weight that’s hard to shake. They’re the body’s way of telling us that something needs our attention. Financial worries are one of the most common sources of stress, and recognizing the signs early can help prevent overwhelm. Stress may show up in your thoughts, your body, or your emotions.

How to Recognize Stress

By Thoughts:

You might catch yourself thinking things like, “What if I can’t pay my bills?” or “I’m afraid to check my bank account.”

By Physical Symptoms:

These can include tightness in the chest, trouble breathing, fatigue, restlessness, a racing heart, or digestive issues.

By Feelings:

You may experience waves of panic, feeling tense or on edge, worry, fear, or even a sense of impending doom.

3: Practice Calming Techniques

Here are three grounding techniques that can help when things feel overwhelming:

Deep breathing exercises

Healthy distractions like exercise, a favorite show, time with loved ones, or hobbies

Progressive muscle relaxation

Practicing relaxation techniques helps your body slow down by lowering your heart rate, easing muscle tension, and reducing blood pressure. These practices can also improve sleep, boost your mood and focus, and even help balance blood sugar levels.

4: Seek Help

Talking to someone about your financial stress can remind you that you’re genuinely not alone. Many people face similar challenges this time of year, and sharing your feelings can bring real relief.

Plan With Others

Working with a partner, spouse, family member, friend, or even a financial advisor can make planning feel less daunting. More perspectives can spark new ideas and help you think creatively about how to save and spend wisely.

Seek Counseling and Professional Support

If your stress becomes overwhelming or begins significantly affecting your daily life—whether at home, work, school, or socially— or maybe you don’t feel like you have someone to reach out to in your persona life – reaching out for professional help is a strong and meaningful step & our professionals are more than happy to help! Owens and Associates Counseling and Therapy is here to support you through these challenges. Remember: you don’t have to navigate this season on your own!

If you want to process any stress, develop techniques to reduce the stress, or gain some insight on things to keep in mind with financial planning, we are here for you!

We can have you meet with one of our clinicians in the next few days to the next week, depending on how soon you need and which clinician you prefer.