Helping Your Anxious Preteen Navigate Holiday Stress with Creativity

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and connection, but for preteens with anxiety, they can feel overwhelming. From packed schedules to unfamiliar social settings and heightened expectations, the season often amplifies their worries. Your preteen might struggle with a loud inner critic, feelings of self-doubt, or an inability to fully relax and enjoy the season.

As a parent, you want to help your preteen feel safe, understood, and confident during this busy time. One way to achieve this is through creativity. Art therapy offers a unique outlet for anxious preteens to express their thoughts and emotions, quiet their inner critic, and discover tools for resilience.

Here’s a creative activity designed to help your preteen process holiday stress and find calm amid the chaos.

Therapeutic Art Activity: My Holiday Journey Map

Therapeutic Art Activity: My Holiday Journey Map

Why You NEED to try this…

Why This Activity Helps

Anxiety can feel like a tangle of thoughts and emotions, especially during the holidays. The Holiday Journey Map provides preteens with a way to untangle and organize their feelings while visually mapping out the season. This activity encourages mindfulness, self-awareness, and self-expression—all key tools for managing anxiety.

What You’ll Need:

• A large sheet of paper or poster board

• Markers, oil pastels, crayons, or colored pencils

• Magazines for cutting out images (optional)

• Scissors, glue, and stickers

How to Create the Map:

1. Draw the Journey:

Ask your preteen to draw a winding road across the paper, representing their journey through the holiday season. Along the road, they’ll mark stops for key events, like a holiday party, family dinner, family traditions, or even downtime at home.

2. Add Emotion Stops:

At each stop, have them draw a symbol or picture to represent how they feel about that moment. For example:

• A question mark for moments of uncertainty.

• A heart for events they’re excited about.

• A storm cloud for situations that feel overwhelming.

They can use colors to reflect their emotions—blue for calm, red for stress, yellow for happiness.

3. Add Empowerment Imagery:

Encourage them to add to the road with comforting images or words that remind them of their strengths and the support they have. They can include encouraging messages, symbols of resilience, or reminders of things they enjoy about the holidays.

4. Reflect Together:

Once their map is complete, sit down and explore it with them. Use open-ended questions like:

• “What part of this journey feels the hardest for you?”

• “What are you most looking forward to?”

• “How can we make the tough moments feel easier?”

5. Empower with Coping Tools:

Discuss simple coping strategies they can use when anxiety shows up, such as deep breathing, taking a break, or using positive affirmations.

Supporting Your Preteen Through Holiday Stress

The Holiday Journey Map is more than an art project—it’s a tool for emotional empowerment. It helps your preteen process their thoughts and feelings while creating a visual reminder of their ability to face challenges.

This activity also opens the door for meaningful conversations, giving you insight into what they need to feel supported during the season.

If you’re looking for more strategies to help your preteen manage anxiety, build confidence, and quiet their inner critic, explore my Emotionally Empowered Family System or Creatively You Club.

Rooting for you!

Kayla

5 Tips to Help Your Anxious Preteen Navigate the Holidays

The holiday season is a magical time, but for preteens struggling with anxiety, it can also feel overwhelming. From bustling family gatherings to endless expectations, this time of year can heighten stress and amplify their worries. As a parent, you may wonder how to help your child enjoy the season while keeping their anxiety in check.  

Here are five practical tips to help your preteen navigate the holidays with confidence and calm:  

1. Set Clear Expectations  

The holidays often bring a whirlwind of activities and unfamiliar situations. Help your child feel grounded by clearly outlining what to expect.  

• Discuss upcoming events, who will be there and what they can look forward to.  

• If you’re visiting family or friends, let them know how long you’ll stay and what they can do if they start feeling overwhelmed.  

• Use visuals like a calendar to map out the schedule, giving your preteen a sense of control.  

Knowing what’s coming can ease their anxiety and give them space to prepare mentally.  

2. Create a Calm-Down Plan

No matter how well-prepared they are, moments of overwhelm may still happen. Equip your preteen with a “calm-down toolkit” they can use whenever stress strikes.  

Some ideas include:  

• Practicing deep breathing exercises (such as inhaling for 4 counts, holding for 4, and exhaling for 4).  

• Bringing along a fidget tool or comforting item, like a stress ball or favorite book.  

• Agreeing on a quiet “safe space” they can retreat to, whether it’s a separate room or a cozy corner at a family gathering.  

Remind your preteen it’s okay to take breaks whenever they need to.  

3. Focus on Their Strengths

Holiday performances, group activities and family traditions often highlight social or academic skills. For an anxious preteen, these moments can trigger feelings of inadequacy. Counter this by emphasizing their strengths:  

• Celebrate their unique contributions, whether it’s their creativity in decorating cookies or their thoughtfulness in choosing gifts.  

• Remind them that it’s okay to say “no” to things that feel too much while still enjoying the season in their own way.  

When your preteen feels valued for who they are, not what they achieve, it builds their confidence.  

4. Practice Mindfulness Together 

Mindfulness is a powerful way to manage holiday stress—for both you and your preteen. Take time to slow down and ground yourselves in the present moment.  

Try these family-friendly mindfulness activities:  

• Savoring the moment: Notice the colors, smells, and tastes during a holiday meal or decorating session.  

• Progressive muscle relaxation: Take turns tensing and relaxing different muscle groups, helping release physical tension.  

• Gratitude sharing: Each evening, share one thing you’re grateful for about the day.  

Even five minutes of mindfulness can create a sense of calm and connection.  

5. Check In and Listen 

The holiday rush can make it easy to overlook how your child is truly feeling. Take time to check in regularly with open-ended questions, like:  

• “What’s something you’re looking forward to this week?”  

• “Is there anything you’re nervous about with the holidays coming up?”  

• “What’s one thing that would make this easier for you?”  

Validate their feelings and show empathy. When your preteen feels heard and understood, they’re more likely to open up and trust your guidance.  

Need Extra Support? Let’s Work Together

The holidays can be especially challenging for preteens with anxiety—and for parents who want to help but feel unsure where to start. If your child is struggling with stress, self-doubt or social pressures, I’m here to help.  

Together, we can create personalized strategies to help your preteen thrive—not just during the holidays, but all year round. Book a free consult today, and let’s make this season one of growth and joy for your family.  

Book your free consultation today.

By implementing these tips, you’ll give your preteen the tools they need to face holiday challenges with confidence—and build memories that truly matter.