Recently in Korea, like in the West, more office workers are clustering their vacations around the year-end and New Year. They take time to rest comfortably, wrap up the year, and set plans for the new year. But resting is not easy. If you take time off without any plan, you may end up feeling more stressed instead of replenishing your energy. How can you truly rest well?
Stacy Shaw, a psychologist at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said on Dec. 18 (local time) in the nonprofit outlet "The Conversation" that rather than resting mindlessly during the winter holiday season by sleeping or watching TV, you should engage in active rest with moderate activity to reduce stress and restore energy. The outlet publishes pieces in which researchers at universities or institutes present their own findings.
◇ Christmas season can easily turn into a nightmare
In the United States and Europe, many people take long breaks from Christmas through early in the new year. Recently in Korea, more corporations have been giving employees time off from Christmas to New Year's Day. People think longer holidays are always better, but that is not the reality. Holidays can actually raise stress levels.
Shaw said, "During the winter holiday season, increased financial expenditure and disruption of daily routines make people psychologically vulnerable," adding, "When you pile on travel stress and family relationship burdens, it is no surprise that emotional stability declines throughout the break."
A 2023 survey of more than 2,000 people by the American Psychological Association found that year-end and New Year holidays cause stress for various reasons. Gifts were the biggest concern. Worries about not having enough money to buy gifts (46%) were the top stressor, followed by choosing gifts (40%) and excessive expenditure (38%). Pressure related to relationships with family or others, and feelings of loss, were also stress factors.
Shaw suggested that to overcome winter vacation stress, people should get quality rest. First, stay away from TV and smartphones. A 2002 survey by Scientific American found that the most popular leisure activity was watching TV. But those who watched TV for four hours or more a day were more likely than those who watched less than two hours to say it was not enjoyable. Brief viewing may be fine, but camping out in front of the TV all holiday long only adds stress.
Twenty years on, smartphones that replaced TV are no different. When Shaw's team surveyed college students, they found that looking at social media on smartphones did not provide a sense of rest either. Shaw advised choosing active rest—spending time with people and going outside—instead of passive rest like lying on the sofa watching TV or using a smartphone.
That does not mean forcing gatherings or packing your schedule tight, which can backfire. It is better to insert pauses in between. Shaw recommended that if you go shopping in the morning, carve out recovery time by reading a book somewhere quiet in the afternoon. She also said it can help to open gifts and then leave them as is and go for a walk instead of tidying up immediately. The point is to break the vicious cycle of inadequate rest and lack of activity.
◇ Walks and hobbies reduce brain stress
Multiple studies have already shown that being active during holidays benefits the body and mind. In 2015, a Stanford University team reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that walking in nature can reduce activity in brain regions associated with rumination and sadness.
Last year, a University of Edinburgh team reported that walking in nature reduces anxiety and stress. Hobbies have similar effects. In 2011, a Nara University of Education team in Japan reported that hobbies such as playing the piano or calligraphy lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
Some people feel uneasy when the holidays run long. That is "leisure guilt." The higher the expectations for vacation, the greater the leisure guilt. Shaw also introduced several good ways to get rid of leisure guilt that lingers even after a vacation ends.
First, lower expectations about spending a perfect holiday with family. She advised letting go of the idea that you must prepare food perfectly or wrap gifts beautifully. Also, during holidays, activities with strong immersion replenish energy better than sitting on the sofa watching TV or using a smartphone. Along with the earlier recommendation of walking, Shaw suggested playing video games or playing with children as good ways to forget housework or office tasks.
She also advised not to suppress leisure guilt unconditionally. "If you feel guilty about resting, accept the feeling and move on," Shaw said, adding, "In highly stressful situations, accepting negative emotions rather than avoiding them can reduce depressive symptoms." Rest, like work, requires strategy.
References
The Conversation (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.64628/AAI.6rrsky6ut
Current Psychology (2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z
International Journal of Music Education (2011), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761411408505
Scientific American (2002), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0202-74