Parents Are Struggling More on Every Mental Health Metric—Here Are a Psychologist’s Tips for Keeping Holiday Stress in Check

According to the US Surgeon General, parents aren’t okay. Earlier this year, an advisory warning was issued saying that the pressure parents are under has become nothing short of a public health crisis. 

Based on a report by the American Psychological Association (APA), over the last decade parents have been consistently more likely than other adults to report experiencing high levels of stress. The report found that 48% of parents said they’re completely overwhelmed by stress and 41% say they can’t function most days because of it. A conversation with any mom or dad will likely validate this finding. The pressure cooker of parenthood is real, and moms and dads admit they can’t keep up—particularly during the holiday season.

A 2024 Hers study confirmed just how stressed parents are. They report being more burned-out (+37%), tired (+22%), depressed (+42%), lonelier (+31%), and feel that life is more complicated (+37%) than adults without kids.

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is “Not at all me” and 5 is “Very much me,” how much do each of the following words describe you? Percent of adults 18+ who rated each word as a 4 or 5.

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All of this is impacting parents’ overall mental health, with 69% of parents saying they are worried they have a mental health condition compared to 59% of non-parents. This stress naturally takes a toll on family life and may even impact the economy: 66% of parents say their mental health impacts their job performance as compared to just 44% of non-parents.

Who can blame them? The economy has been trying to make a soft landing since the pandemic; political instability is the new norm (this past presidential election particularly put the country on edge); the safety nets families used to count on—from social security and job security to being able to afford healthcare and a home—are not nearly as reliable or accessible. And then there’s college applications, tuition payments, and raising kids in the TikTok era, which is entirely new terrain. It’s no wonder moms and dads are breaking down.

By the time the holidays come around, parents are tapped out. It may be the “most wonderful time of the year,” but holiday stress often includes difficult family dynamics, higher spending, busier schedules, and the pressure to make everything perfect. 

However, what we found is that moms and dads diverge in the mental health challenges they face. As such, they need different coping mechanisms—particularly during the hectic holiday season.

While our data didn’t document how many activities moms take on each day as compared to dads, moms do report they are statistically more tired than dads. In fact, 44% of moms say the word “tired” describes them well (a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) as compared to 39% of dads; and 19% of moms say “tired” is one of the top five words that describes them, more than double the percentage of dads who agree (8%). 

Moms were 65% more likely than dads to say their perfect day would start with “A good night’s sleep” (33% vs. 20%). They’d also prefer sleep (57%) to romance (43%)—whereas dads prefer romance (54%) to sleep (46%).

When moms eat, they’re frequently doing so while taking care of other business. The number one way moms describe their eating pattern is “automatic: I tend to eat on autopilot while I’m multitasking.” Dads’ top eating pattern, on the other hand, is “enthusiastic: I make food a priority, the majority of my social activities revolve around eating.”

 All this paints a picture of moms burning out as they try to keep all the balls in the air. Here are tips from a licensed clinical psychologist, Jessica Yu, Ph.D., for moms to slow down during this holiday season and take stock of their mental health.

1. Delegate tasks. Moms are notorious for trying to do it all. When it comes to the holidays, this may, as an example, manifest in being the one to come up with the gift list, drive around to the stores to physically pick up the gifts, and stay up late wrapping the gifts. Give yourself a break and ask for some help. Have a partner, family member, or friend take on some or all of the task. Not only will it save you time and energy, it’ll likely help the other person get into the holiday spirit.

2. Lean into saying “no.” Doesn’t it seem like there’s an overabundance of holiday activities to potentially participate in? Perhaps your calendar is full to the brim with family parties, school celebrations, dinners with friends, community events, and more. Such activity can be wonderfully festive and utterly exhausting. It is absolutely acceptable to decline an invitation, especially if you’re feeling tired or overwhelmed. This will give you an opportunity to rest up so you can enjoy other activities later. 

3. Don’t try to replicate everything you see on social media. If you spend enough time on social media, you’ll surely come across influencers with ideas for a beautifully decorated home, holiday crafts for your kids, homemade desserts to make for a party, gifts to consider for everyone on your list, etc. But remember that what you see on social media isn’t actually real life. Don’t feel compelled to do something you see just because it has a million likes. Do it if it matters to you. If not, ignore it. Better yet, turn off your social media and work on being mindful and really enjoying the holiday season.

Compared to moms, dads report being more depressed and lonelier (see Mental Health Metrics Among Moms & Dads). 

While we can’t be certain as to why, too much screen time may play a role—57% of dads say social media is impactful or very impactful on their day-to-day lives as compared to just 43% of moms.

Dads also care far more about how they look on social media than do moms (46% vs. 39%). Furthermore, dads are more likely to say social media is a significant stressor for them than are moms (18% vs. 13%).

During the holidays, social comparison is more pervasive, and stressful, than during other times of year. Who doesn’t want to keep up with the Joneses, or the other families on Instagram posting about their perfect holiday plans (home decorated with mistletoe, ski trip to Tahoe, etc.). Unplugging, among other things, is key for dads to restabilize. Here’s a look at a few other psychologist-backed tips for dads.

1. Keep technology at bay. As noted above, dads tend to suffer from digital dependency, whether that means spending too much time on social media, poring over their news feeds, or checking email while trying to enjoy some time off. Such dependency can keep you (and anyone, really) from engaging in and enjoying the holiday season. Give your phone, computer, tablet, and other digital devices a rest so you can be more present in the festivities happening around you.

2. Phone a friend. Research from the Survey Center on American Life has shown that men’s friendships have changed over time—and not for the better. The number of friendships men report having has decreased, satisfaction with such friendships has decreased, and the amount of emotional support received has decreased. No wonder we found that dads report being more depressed and lonely than moms. This holiday season, combat such negative feelings by reaching out to a friend. Catch up by phone or plan something fun to do. It’ll be good for your mental health.

3. Set expectations—with yourself and others. So much of the holiday season requires us to go, go, go, that we don’t often pause to understand what we want for ourselves or those around us. And this lack of clarity may very well contribute to dads feeling like life is complicated around the holidays. Take some time to talk to those around you—your partner, kids, and other important individuals—about how you want to spend the holiday season. Being clear about what you and others want and need will ensure that you make the most of this festive time of year.

This study is based on a 5,504-person online survey, which included 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in the top 50 metropolitan areas (100 respondents per city) and a nationally representative sample of 504 18-to-65-year-old respondents to contextualize results. The study was fielded in May 2024.

Findings were analyzed by more than 100 demographic and psychographic cuts, including city, region, gender (when we refer to “women” and “men,” we include all people who self-identify as such), age, race and ethnicity, relationship status, parenting status, sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual, queer, etc.), and political affiliation, among other areas of interest.

All data in this study are from this source, unless otherwise noted. Independent research firm, Culture Co-op, conducted and analyzed research and findings.

Questions about our study? Contact us at [email protected].