Go Ahead, Get Yourself Something Nice Over the Holidays, Too

The holiday season can be a stressful time, but new research suggests that self-gifting may help boost your mood — and it's particularly effective when you're already feeling strained.

By Alex Orlando
Nov 24, 2023 2:00 PM
Man holding a gift up to his reflection in a mirror. Self-gifting concept
(Credit: eamesBot/Shutterstock)

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‘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.

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