Snow begins to dust the rooftops. Calendars fill with potlucks and parties. Holiday playlists echo through stores, offices, and inboxes. For many, this time of year brings sparkle and cheer. And it may also bring solitude and stress.
The holidays are complicated. Whether you're an essential worker pulling extra shifts, a remote employee juggling end-of-year deadlines, or someone in recovery navigating social pressures, the upcoming season can be difficult. It is important to realize that connection is multi-dimensional, and it may be closer than you think.
According to a 2023 survey from the American Psychological Association, 41% of adults report elevated stress during the holidays, with even higher rates among individuals experiencing substance use or mental health challenges1. These realities make it even more important to lean on meaningful connections—both big and small—as a source of support, resilience, and grounding during this time.
Four meaningful pathways can help make the holidays feel more manageable: connection with others, with nature, with animals, and with yourself.
Connect with Others
The holidays do not have to be a whirlwind of events and obligations. Connection can be as simple as scheduling a low-stakes check-in with a coworker, neighbor, or loved one; writing a short note of appreciation to a teammate or essential worker; or choosing to attend one meaningful gathering rather than overcommitting.
Employers can help too, by hosting inclusive celebrations that center on well-being, encouraging staff to take real breaks, and reminding teams that it is okay to say "no" when things feel busy.
Connect with Nature
Nature offers a reset button, especially during times of heightened stress. A brisk lunchtime walk, spending time in natural light, or gazing out of a window for a few minutes, can reduce anxiety and lower your blood pressure2.
Workplaces that promote outdoor breaks, or quiet spaces with images of nature or near windows, often see improved worker morale and increased focus, especially during darker winter months.
Connect with Animals
Your pet doesn’t know, or care, what’s on your calendar. But pets do know how to nuzzle in when you feel overwhelmed. Interacting with animals can reduce cortisol and increase oxytocin, the “connection hormone,” offering comfort, structure, and a sense of companionship3.
Don’t have a pet? Consider volunteering at a shelter, visiting a therapy animal program, or simply scrolling through a pet rescue feed. It all works!
Connect with Self
Sometimes the most overlooked connection is the one we have with ourselves. You don’t need to perform acts of joy this season. Perhaps the wonder is simply being able to be still. Consider journaling for five minutes before bed or focusing on breathing deeply. Try to trade multitasking for mindful moments. You don’t need to perform acts of joy and wonder this season. Perhaps the wonder is simply being able to breathe and to be.
Employers can support self-connection by normalizing paid time off, offering mental health days, and modeling self-compassion, especially for team leads.
Connection, in any form, is a powerful antidote to stress.
Whether it’s sharing a smile, taking a walk, enjoying a mocktail, or sitting quietly by yourself, these small moments of connection are meaningful and restorative. So, this year, let’s redefine what it means to feel connected. Let’s honor the quiet connections, the imperfect ones, the small-but-sacred ones, because they are the ones that last.
For more resources on creating healthy, inclusive workplaces during the holidays or all-year-round, visit Health Links® or The Colorado Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative®.