5 Humor Hacks to Bring Back the Joy This Holiday Season

“Tis the season to be jolly,” but if you’re like a lot of folks this year, “Bah Humbug” may be a more fitting description of how you’re feeling. Stress is a surefire way to throw a bucket of cold water on your holiday spirit. Nothing like being bombarded constantly with news about global warming, the pandemic, and political pandemonium to turn your “Ho! Ho! Ho!” into “No, no, no!” Add to that the pressures of work, family, health, and finances and you find yourself dreading the holi-daze.

BTW — stress doesn’t result just from bad things happening in your life. It’s a cumulative effect of all events — both good and bad. So maybe you are excited about your Aunt Edna and Uncle Ralph coming for Thanksgiving after not seeing them during the holidays last year. But when you celebrated virtually, they couldn’t see those piles of dishes in the sink and laundry on the floor. They couldn’t smell the cat litter box that needed to be emptied a week ago. And if you got tired of talking to them, you could feign a faulty WIFI signal and turn them off. Even though you’re happy to see them, it’s not without a cost to your nervous system.

Holiday stress isn’t just a hassle. It messes with your brain — literally. Just thinking about what could go wrong over the holidays creates something called an anticipatory effect. Your brain can’t tell the difference between whether you’re thinking about maxing out your credit cards or actually experiencing being in holiday debt! Either way, your brain starts releasing neurotransmitters that can cause your mind and body to get Scrooged.

Physically, when you’re stressed, your blood pressure goes up, your muscles tighten, your heart quickens, and your immune system gets whacked (not something to sign up for during a pandemic…). Over time, cortisol is released and guess what? High levels of cortisol can cause that candy cane to stick to your belly and those Christmas cookies to stick to your thighs.

Mentally, you forget things (where did you hide that perfect gift you bought 5 months ago for your spouse?). You become more irritable, cranky and a definite candidate for the naughty list. You can actually lose IQ points — something you’ll regret with any gift marked “some assembly required.”

Socially, you want to isolate. The thought of going to an office party makes you tired. Your friends invite you over for eggnog and you beg off with visions of alphabetizing your medicine cabinet or combing the lint out of your dryer. Don’t feel guilty about wanting to skip, but isolating to an extreme can be unhealthy. We’re wired to connect with other humans and long-term isolation and loneliness can be as unhealthy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The good news is that the anticipatory effect isn’t strictly negative. While thinking about something stressful can have a negative impact on every system in your body, thinking about something fun, humorous and pleasant can have a positive impact on those same systems. This is a great reason to start reframing and planning now, so that anticipating the holidays is a bonus and not a bummer.

Here are 5 Holiday Hacks to help you decrease your hassle and increase your delight so that, despite the crazy challenges behind and ahead, you can enjoy this holiday season now!

1. The Holiday Police will not arrest you for not having all of your decorations up. Remember less can be more. This is not the year you want to compete with Clark Griswold (and if you don’t recognize this reference, skip to Humor Hack #5). If you spend less time putting decorations up, you’ll have more time to sit back and actually experience the holiday — and it won’t be near the hassle to take them down.
2. Holiday parties tend to descend all at once. Don’t feel obligated. Go to those you really want to attend and regret the rest. Can’t think of a good excuse? Don’t give one! If it’s a true friend, they won’t need an excuse and if it’s not a good friend, they’re not going to believe you anyway! (Note: If you’re stressed, you’re probably going to want to skip ALL holiday parties and that’s okay. Just remember that it’s not healthy to totally isolate for long periods of time.)
3. Stuck in holiday traffic? You can’t control the traffic, but you can control your response — it’s a choice. Take this opportunity to reframe. Take a deep breath and visualize the person honking their horn driving in their underwear. Imagine the look on their face when they unwrap a lump of coal. At all costs, keep your sense of humor!
4. Play isn’t just for kids. I know, I know — you don’t want to feel silly. Do it anyway. Make time for a little fun everyday — sing, dance, skate, sled, play games — even if it’s only for 10 minutes. Breaking up your day with some fun gives your brain a momentary respite, and this can be the difference a happy holiday or a crappy holiday.
5. Make time for funny holiday movies throughout the season like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, A Christmas Story, and Home Alone. The list goes on and on. Never before have so many shows been so accessible. Good news: Regular bouts of humor will boost your resilience, which more likely than not, has taken a beating over the last year. Spreading the viewings out over the coming weeks will do more for you than just binging them all in one day. Small, consistent activities make a bigger impact on your body, mind and spirit than just one big activity.

Try viewing the holiday season from a child’s mind’s eye. As grownups, we tend to see the holidays in terms of tasks, costs and obligations. Kids still see the wonder, the magic, the possibilities… It is possible to have your best holiday season yet. It’s not just a season. It’s a mindset. It’s a choice. Happy holidays!