5 Things I Do Each Year That Help Ease My Social Anxiety During the Holidays

For some, the holiday season brings constant, welcome entertainment: a month filled to the brim with festive work parties, Friendsgiving and Secret Santa brunches with friends, nonstop travel, and family gatherings galore. While all the music, gift giving, and delicious food make for a decidedly great time, many of us may find the social overload of the season to be overwhelming. Do you ever want to retreat to your room and Netflix and chill alone for a while in the middle of a family dinner? Yeah, me too. As someone who has dealt with social anxiety pretty much since birth (at 5, I actually preferred playing with rocks to trying to make friends), I've compiled a list of things that have helped ease my anxiety during the holiday party season. Hopefully they'll help you too.