Surviving the Holidays When It’s Been a Hard Year

A Calltime reflection on stress, boundaries, and getting through the season

For a lot of people in film and TV, the holidays arrive with mixed feelings at the best of times.

And this year, for many, it hasn’t exactly been the best of times.

Between ongoing production slowdowns, financial strain, long stretches without work, and the general uncertainty that’s been hanging over our industry for a while now, many workers are heading into the holiday season already tired. Emotionally. Mentally. Financially.

Add family expectations, social pressure, memories of “better years,” and the constant hum of news and social media, and it’s no surprise that what’s supposed to feel festive can instead feel heavy, complicated, or overwhelming.

If you’re not feeling joyful, grateful, or excited this holiday season, you’re not doing anything wrong.

You’re human. And you’ve been living through a lot.

Surviving the Holidays (Without Pretending You’re Fine)

In film, many of us are used to pushing through. Long days, tight timelines, creative pressure, interpersonal dynamics on set. We’ve built careers on resilience. But resilience doesn’t mean pretending everything is okay when it’s not.

For some, this season brings loneliness, especially if you’re not currently working and missing the built-in community that comes with being on a show. For others, it brings anxiety about money, housing, or what next year might hold. For many, it’s grief, comparison, or a quiet sense of falling behind.

All of that deserves acknowledgment.

The holidays don’t magically erase the hard parts of the year. They often magnify them.

And that doesn’t mean you’re failing at the holidays. It means the holidays are complex.

Boundaries Are a Mental Health Tool.

One of the most important skills during the holiday season is boundary-setting. And for a lot of us, it’s also one of the hardest.

Boundaries can look like:

• Saying no to gatherings you don’t have the energy for

• Leaving early without explaining yourself

• Limiting conversations that feel invasive or draining

• Scaling back on spending without guilt

• Choosing rest over obligation

This isn’t about shutting people out. It’s about protecting your capacity.

In our industry, we often give everything we have to the work when we’re on a show. When the work slows, we don’t always adjust our expectations of ourselves. We keep pushing, just in a different way.

The holidays can be an opportunity to practice something different.

You are allowed to:

• Have a quiet holiday

• Change traditions

• Skip things that don’t feel supportive

• Create new rhythms that match where you’re actually at

Boundaries aren’t selfish. They’re a way of staying regulated, present, and connected in a season that can easily overwhelm our nervous systems.

Less Doing, More Being

There’s a cultural script around the holidays that says they should be busy, productive, full, and meaningful all at once.

But what if this year isn’t about doing more?  What if it’s about being a bit gentler with yourself?

A meaningful holiday doesn’t have to be packed with plans. It can be:

• A walk outside

• A favourite movie

• Cooking one simple meal

• Calling someone you trust

• Getting more sleep than usual

• Letting yourself unplug for a while

Rest is not wasted time.

A Few Reflections to Sit With (If You Want)

Here are a few questions for reflection as we come to the end of one year and look ahead to the next. Sometimes just sitting with a question, on a walk or while making coffee, is enough.

Looking Back (Without Judgment)

• If this year was a chapter in a book - what would the title be?

• What has it shown me about what I need?

• Where have I been stronger than I give myself credit for?

Naming What I Need Right Now

• What feels heavy going into the holidays?

• What would support look like for me this season?

• What am I craving more of: rest, connection, fun, quiet, distraction, simplicity?

Boundaries and Choice

• Where am I saying yes out of habit rather than desire?

• What would it feel like to say no, or not yet?

• What expectations can I soften, including my own?

A Gentle Intention (Not a Resolution)

• What do I hope for this next year?

• What do I want more of, or want to be more intentional about?

• What do I want less of, even if I can’t eliminate it entirely?

If You Want More Support: Our Holiday Stress Guide

If this post resonates, we’ve created a Holiday Stress Guide specifically for film and TV workers.

The guide includes:

• Practical strategies for managing holiday stress

• Tools for setting boundaries

• Ways to support your mental health during downtime

• Resources you can access if things feel overwhelming

You can find it on the Calltime website HERE.

A Final Word

From all of us at Calltime, we’re holding space for the complexity of this season, and for the people in our industry who keep showing up, even when it’s hard.

However you spend the holidays, we hope you find moments of ease, connection, and kindness toward yourself.

And if you need support, check out the resources page or the union benefits page on our site. You deserve it,  not just during the holidays, but always.