Overview
- Therapists describe the holiday “empty chair” effect that intensifies grief and recommend stepwise actions: recognize the loss, allow feelings, reset expectations, revise rituals, legitimize needs, and give the absence a symbolic place.
- APA-cited evidence warns that dense social demands elevate stress responses with measurable effects on sleep, memory, and emotional regulation.
- Setting boundaries is encouraged: decline draining plans, cap visit times, delegate holiday tasks, and postpone entrenched family disputes rather than trying to resolve them at the table.
- Specialists advise limiting social media to reduce harmful comparisons and focusing on immediate needs rather than an idealized festive mood.
- For children, clinicians recommend defining gift limits in advance, validating frustration without withdrawing affection, and prioritizing shared routines and calm over more presents.