‘Tis the season … for being stressed, that is. The holidays, joyful as they can be, can also be emotional powder kegs simmering with worry and feelings of constraint.
A 2021 report by the American Psychiatric Association surveyed 2,000 adults and found that 41 percent reported an increase in stress this time of year. The reasons for the uptick in anxiety are plentiful: financial pressures, gift-giving worries, and family tensions, to name a few.
Whether it’s from demands at work, home, or even a hectic holiday season, people who are already feeling tense tend to not reward themselves with new gifts or experiences, according to a recently published study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
“When we’re short on time, money, and energy, we see a self-gifting opportunity and we think, 'I would not really be able to enjoy that. I would not be able to enjoy those relaxation benefits ...
