This is Part 1 of a three-part series.

When the holidays roll around, many of us find ourselves feeling out of sorts. We feel a mix of blue, apprehensive, and stressed, and we’re not sure why.

“Emotion, which is suffering,” the philosopher Spinoza once wrote, “ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.” I’ve always been driven to help myself and others better understand our emotions so they cease to control us.

I have observed many people around me feeling stressed or anxious over the past few weeks. Armed with the idea that “affect labeling” (see Part 2 of this series) would enable them to better enjoy the holiday season, I decided to ask them what they are feeling.

I sent out a free-write survey to hundreds of working professionals in my ecosystem, asking them to identify any challenging emotions they are experiencing as the holidays approach. From their responses, I’ve identified four common emotions many of us feel as the holidays approach.

“On top of all my work responsibilities, I am trying to finish before going on holiday break,” exclaimed Ron, one of my conference participants.........

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