Why They Happen and Helpful Tips on How Houstonians Can Get Through the Season
For a season that’s sold as nonstop joy, the holidays can feel surprisingly heavy. If you’ve noticed you’re more anxious, irritable, lonely, tired, or just not yourself, you’re not being ungrateful. You might be dealing with the “holiday blues,” a common mood dip that can pop up when routines change, expectations rise, budgets tighten, and family dynamics (or grief) get stirred up. For some people, it’s the first holiday without someone they love. For others, it’s feeling far from home, overwhelmed by packed calendars, or quietly burned out while everyone else looks like they’re thriving.
The most helpful shift is often this: stop trying to force “perfect,” and aim for “steady.” That can mean picking just one to three priorities for the season and letting the rest be optional. It can also mean building a couple of simple anchors into your days, because when life gets chaotic, routines keep you grounded. If you’re not sure where to start, try choosing a few of these and keeping them small on purpose:
Keep one simple daily routine, like a 10-minute walk, a calm morning coffee, or a consistent bedtime.
Set an honest budget and stick to it, even if that means Secret Santa, homemade gifts, or an “experience gift” like a shared meal or coffee and a walk.
Use quick boundary scripts before you need them, such as “We can stay for an hour,” “I’m keeping things low key this year,” or “I’m not discussing that today.”
Protect sleep as much as you can, because everything feels harder when you’re running on fumes.
Watch the holiday combo of more sugar, more alcohol, and less water, since it can quietly increase anxiety and irritability.
Make connection easy instead of exhausting, like one check-in text, running an errand with a friend, sitting in a coffee shop around other people, or calling someone you trust.
It also helps to remember that holiday blues do not always look like crying. Sometimes it’s feeling numb, wanting to isolate, snapping more easily, or feeling like everything is “too much.” When that happens, the goal is not to fix your whole life in a day. The goal is one next step: one real meal, one glass of water, one short walk, one earlier bedtime, one honest conversation. Small steps count because they add up.
If what you’re feeling is intense, lasting more than a couple of weeks, or making it hard to function, it may be more than the typical holiday blues, and you deserve support. Here are a few signs it’s time to reach out: you’re struggling to get through normal days, sleep is severely disrupted most nights, anxiety or sadness keeps getting worse, or you’re isolating from everyone and feeling hopeless. Help is available, and you do not have to power through this alone.
Houston resources for support
If you need to talk to someone right now, or you’re worried about a friend or family member, these options can help:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7). 988 Lifeline
The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (24/7 Crisis and Access Line): Call 713-970-7000 or toll-free 1-866-970-7000. Harris Mental Health
The Harris Center Emotional Support text line: Text 832-479-2135. Harris Mental Health
NAMI Greater Houston Warmline (help and resources): 713-970-4483 (English) and 713-970-4481 (Spanish). NAMI Greater Houston
Mental Health America of Greater Houston (Care Connect Helpline): Call or text 281-215-9988 for help finding care and support options. Mental Health America of Greater Houston
Crisis Intervention of Houston: Call 832-416-1177 (Teen line: 832-416-1199, Teen text: 281-201-4430). Crisis Intervention of Houston
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
