CHRISTMAS is widely celebrated as a season of joy, but for some, rising pressures turn the season heavy, leaving them weighed down by expectations they can’t meet.
Psychologists say this emotional dip is far more common than many realize. When holiday expectations and social pressure rise, the brain’s stress-response system kicks in, releasing cortisol that makes people more vulnerable to loneliness, anxiety, and fatigue.
According to Instructor Alvin Joseph Mapoy of the UST Department of Psychology, these emotional shifts are part of what is known as the “holiday blues” – a temporary mood disturbance that typically emerges between November and January.
It involves loneliness and anxiety but differs from clinical conditions such as major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder, which require formal diagnosis and persist beyond the season.
Mapoy explained that holiday blues activate the body’s hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, a network of brain structures responsible for regulating how people react to stress.
When an individual experiences holiday-related pressure — including academic demands, social expectations, or financial strain — the HPA axis signals the body to release cortisol, the primary stress hormone. While cortisol helps the body manage short-term stress, consistently elevated levels can intensify sadness, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion.
“The arrival of the season may automatically trigger the conditioned response of sadness or anxiety, creating a cyclical pattern of distress year after year,” Mapoy told the Varsitarian.
Symptoms of holiday blues include changes in appetite and sleep, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and reduced interest in daily activities. For some Thomasians, these patterns surface in gatherings and social routines that feel more draining than uplifting.
For psychology sophomore Will Clado, gatherings that are meant to be joyful often feel obligatory.
“It’s almost like a responsibility that I have to show up for these events. But I don’t really interact with the people there when I go,” Clado told the Varsitarian.
“I always feel this guilt that I’m not really as immersed as everyone else when it comes to Christmas, and that indifference of mine has always led to me feeling a bit pained and a bit alone.”
Citing data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mapoy noted that 64%of individuals with existing mental health conditions report that the holidays worsened their symptoms.
Nursing sophomore Isabel Delos Reyes said academic pressure dampens her ability to look forward to the season.
“I sometimes don’t feel like the holidays are coming due to the workload I have and responsibilities I need to attend to,” she said. “These experiences affect me because instead of feeling that holiday spirit, I feel like I’m in a battle with my grades.”
From a biopsychological standpoint, Mapoy said disruptions in the circadian rhythm — common in countries with reduced sunlight during winter — can also affect people’s mood during the holidays.
He added that the commodification of the holidays, such as the pressure to give gifts or host picture-perfect celebrations, shapes how people judge their own experiences.
“Knowing that they lack material things associated with holidays further affects their mood,” he said, adding that personal experiences can intensify the emotional strain.
Financial pressure weighs on students who feel expected to participate in festive traditions.
“Growing up, hindi ko naman kasi talagang nakikita pa talaga ‘yung problem ng pera pero ngayon, parang nagsi-sink in na sa akin na problema pala talaga pera,” psychology sophomore Nathaniel Tapang said.
Mapoy pointed to cognitive dissonance, a psychological state in which a person’s true emotions conflict with how they believe they should feel. During the holidays, this conflict becomes sharper, deepening distress when individuals cannot match external expectations of happiness.
Although holiday blues are usually temporary, Mapoy warned that they can escalate. If symptoms last for more than two weeks after the season, the individual may meet the criteria for major depressive disorder and should seek professional help.
Coping and reclaiming the season
Mapoy said reframing expectations is a key coping strategy.
“From a cognitive standpoint, it is important to reframe our thoughts when it comes to holidays,” he said. “Understanding that ‘this will be good enough’ for this year, reduces the pressure gap.”
He encouraged staying connected, even through virtual interactions, as well as engaging in meaningful activities such as volunteering or hobbies instead of withdrawing.
For individuals who associate old traditions with grief, Mapoy suggested creating new ones to “reclaim the season” and build a renewed sense of identity and continuity.
As stress accumulates, Mapoy reminds students that emotional honesty is essential.
“Acknowledge that it is okay to not feel happy during holidays,” he said. “Prioritize self-care, seek connection [during] the holidays, and seek professional help if you feel that you need to because the holiday blues already affect your daily functioning.”
