How to get rid of New Year’s Eve jitters? Effective recommendations from a psychologist and a doctor

psychologist, narrative therapist, expert of the online school of psychological professions “Psychodemia”

“If New Year’s Eve instead of joy and anticipation of the holiday causes anxiety – it’s normal. I will tell you how to cope with pre-New Year’s Eve jitters.”

What is New Year’s Eve jitters?

December is not just about garlands, tangerines and corporate parties. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of dressing up the Christmas tree or spending your annual bonus on gifts. But instead you found a very unwanted companion – New Year’s Eve jitters.

In science, of course, there is no such term. So we describe the state of anxiety, nervousness and tension familiar to many before the onset of the holiday. All these are manifestations of stress. We are accustomed to believe that it is associated with negative events. In fact, it is not.

Stressor – is any factor of the external world, knocking us out of balance, whether it is an illness, an emergency at work, a wedding or a trip. Even a nice extra stress doesn’t stop being a stressor.

Causes of New Year’s Eve jitters

Disruption of routine. December is really different from other months. Finding gifts, decorating the house, buying a Christmas tree, corporate parties, kids’ matinees, planning trips – all of these can be extra chores that don’t cancel out your normal workload. And in many businesses, it’s also a time of annual reports and project completion, which can easily make the month become an emergency.

Social expectations. Not everyone loves holiday rituals. But it can be hard to explain to friends or family members who expect you to give them gifts or invite them to visit.

Financial pressure. “New Year’s Eve shopping” only in Christmas movies is filled with tranquility and fun. In reality, it can turn into a sprint through shopping centers or endless flipping through pages of online stores with shouting, arguing and emptying your wallet.

Summarizing. It’s customary to summarize the New Year and make plans for the next year. This tradition is also a two-edged stick. On the one hand, to summarize and set goals is useful to achieve them. On the other hand, the desire to keep up with others can cause anxiety, thoughts of unfinished business – sadness, and a new list of intentions (which are usually more than we can cope with) – all the same tension.

The unknown. Stepping into a new year is like turning the page of a book. And everything new is unsettling, especially for those who can’t handle uncertainty very well.

How New Year’s Eve jitters affect the psyche and why they are transmitted to the body

The psyche and body react to New Year’s Eve jitters in the same way as to any other stress. First, a hormonal storm kicks in. The body activates the “hit-or-run” system, which is accompanied by the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

This chemical cocktail is designed to mobilize the body’s resources to respond effectively to the threat. Blood rushes to vital organs – the heart, lungs, and brain. This causes the heart to beat faster, blood pressure to rise, and hands and feet to become cold. This is how the body prepares for increased activity.

Second, stress turns on the “alert” button in our sympathetic nervous system. Being alert is useful in the event of a real threat. But with constant stress, this system wears out, which can make you feel tired and irritable all the time.

Thirdly, stress affects the areas of the brain responsible for mood regulation, memory, and decision-making. So because of the moodiness, we can actually become “a little off” (we won’t react in the same way as when we are calm). For example, we succumb more easily to promotions and discounts, buy unnecessary things, fuss and make rash decisions. There is also a paradox: because of tension, we may not realize that it is there.

What to do if you get New Year’s Eve jitters

There is no one-size-fits-all way to stop the emotional storm. But there are a few strategies that can help reduce the intensity of the jitters.

Organization and planning. The best antidote to uncertainty is planning. Psychology doesn’t urge us to become breadcrumbs and slaves to schedules, but a few plans in your schedule can help structure your day and avoid the unnecessary hustle or austerities of buying gifts or train tickets at the last second. If you can reduce your stress levels by getting some of your to-do’s done in advance, why not take advantage of it. The same goes for planning for expenses.

Realistic expectations. Any inflated expectations lead to additional stress. If you planned to celebrate New Year’s Eve perfectly, a stain on your dress or soggy fireworks will be a disaster. The same goes for plans for the year ahead.

The desire to become a different person, start running in the morning, eat right, earn 10 times more usually only causes regret and reminds us of all the years when we failed. If you don’t know what to please yourself with, give yourself objective expectations.

Help and support. The slogan of self-care is, “If some chores can be shared with others, do it.” Nowadays, fewer and fewer people kill themselves in the kitchen to surprise guests with a variety of dishes on the holiday table. If the process of cooking, decorating rooms or contests gives you pleasure, go for it. If not, remind yourself that the holiday will not be a holiday if you are unhappy and exhausted.

Engage your parasympathetic nervous system. While the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the stress response, its opposite is the calm and relaxation system. We can literally activate it to feel better.

Even deep breathing and a little physical activity (a light warm-up, so that breathing does not increase) can help trigger the parasympathetic system. Pleasant tactile sensations also work well.

You can take a warm shower, knead a ball, an anti-stress toy or a pillow – choose what you like. If you can’t make time for a quiet walk or reading a book in the hustle and bustle of New Year’s Eve, you can listen to your favorite music.

The holidays are a time to enjoy. It is special and memorable. It is unlikely that the memories of moping and nervousness are something you dream of keeping. So add in pre-holiday events and experiences that you really want to remember.

How the body reacts to New Year’s Eve stress

Therapist at LabQuest + Q-Clinica medical company

“Mandrazh in the body can occur not only in anticipation of the holiday, but also in many other conditions of the body.”

Often in life there are situations when there is excitement: speaking in public, taking exams, upcoming interviews, sports competitions, waiting for an important message. In such a case, there is not just tension inside, but also outside: wet palms, loss of voice, stuttering, trembling in the knees, hands.

In addition, there may be headaches, indigestion, slowed thoughts. Someone even loses consciousness because of the tension inside. All of this combined is the churning caused by stressful situations.

Let’s analyze what organs react to stressful situations? Basically the brain and the adrenal glands control stress.

1. The adrenal glands produce cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), which are the main hormones that regulate stress responses. Other organ hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, and adrenaline are also partially involved in acute and chronic stressors.

Under normal circumstances, there is a natural balance between all of these hormones. DHEA helps in balancing stress-induced high levels of cortisol. However, hormone release and demand is regulated and determined by the brain.

2. The brain is the main organ of the central nervous system and it regulates all the most important processes in the human body. Therefore, in case of stress, its structures are the first to react and trigger a response, the purpose of which is adaptation and survival in difficult conditions.

In case of stress, certain areas of the brain are activated, while the functions of other brain structures inevitably decline. Stress affects the psyche, changes the work of the most important systems of the body, affects the higher brain functions.

Their violation can be manifested by a decrease in cognitive abilities: memory, attention, speech. The brain, determining the threat, triggers a stress response. Its task is to protect the body from unfavorable emotional or physical effects.

There are three links to the stress response:

• sympathetic autonomic nervous system puts the cardiovascular system, lungs, muscles in “combat readiness”, triggers the active synthesis of stress hormones – catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline), in the brain substance of the adrenal glands;
• the hypothalamic-pituitary axis of the brain gives a signal to the adrenal cortex, which responds by releasing another group of stress hormones – glucocorticoids (cortisol), which regulate further changes;
• the stress hormones travel through the bloodstream throughout the body, including to the brain.

What are the dangers

All the symptomatology described as in “anticipation of the new” or stressful situation takes on the so-called “masks” of various diseases:

• diseases of the cardiovascular system: NRS (heart rhythm disorders of various etiologies), arterial hypertension, etc. – people who have already been diagnosed with these diseases earlier are at increased risk, their course may worsen;
• immune system diseases. Immunodeficiency – the activity of the immune system is depressed due to increased activity of stress hormones produced by the adrenal glands;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) – gastritis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome;
• dermatologic diseases – acne, hair loss, psoriasis;

• neurological diseases – depression, neuroses;
• endocrinological diseases: metabolic syndrome – weight gain due to prolonged hormonal imbalance, not always correctable through diet. This syndrome can lead to diabetes mellitus. Thyroid diseases should also be attributed to it;
• diseases of the genitourinary system: in women – menstrual disorders, metrorrhagia; in both sexes – cystitis, decreased libido;
• Alcohol and drug addiction – with constant stress, a person begins to abuse psychoactive substances.

Mandrazh in a stressful situation can come from a completely different direction and aggravate the condition. Therefore, with a prolonged influence of stress or manifestation of symptoms, it is necessary to consult a specialist: the therapist, endocrinologist – the first assistants who will help to deal with both the cause and effect of the disease.