How is it already December? Time has flown by and we’re back in the busy holiday season! In today’s blog post, we’ll be discussing ways that we can nurture our mental health during this time of year. While this season may bring joy for many, it may also bring stress, grief, and sadness. Considering this, let’s look at some of the ways that we can nurture our mental health during the holiday season:
- The holidays are particularly stressful for many of us. While joyful, the holidays can bring along pressure, financial worries, or even family conflict. If you’ve experienced these things during the holidays, know that you’re not alone. This is a common experience for many people.
- One simple way to nurture our mental health this season is to acknowledge that stress is likely to come hand in hand with the joy that the holidays bring. It’s a stressful time of year & you’re not alone in feeling this way.
- Acknowledging our expectations for the holidays also means taking on what we can. Ask yourself, is it hard for me to say no to extra tasks during the holidays? If the answer is yes, then in what way can you set a boundary to take on less? That brings us to the second tip for surviving the holiday season:
- Set realistic expectations and boundaries so that you can show up, support yourself, and support those around you. Reflect on your expectations for the holidays & your boundaries for taking on additional tasks that may not be a priority.
- Another tip that I’d like to share is one that you’ve probably heard many times before. Here it goes….I’m going to ask that you prioritize self-care – shocker! With all jokes aside, taking care of yourself is essential to being able to take care of others too. We’ve heard it all before: “you can’t pour out of an empty cup”, but it’s true! Have you been taking care of yourself? Think about starting with the basics – ask yourself, am I eating well, sleeping well, getting in enough movement? Self care is extra important during the busy holiday season, so please make sure you’re taking care of you.
- Prioritize self-care during the chaos of the holidays. Whether that means scheduling 30 minutes for yourself, or adding movement to your daily tasks, get creative and take care of you!
- When we think of the holidays, we may think of family members and friends who we’ll be spending time with. But, for several reasons, many of us may not be able to be with our loved ones. Staying connected is one way we can manage feelings of loneliness. This could mean attending local events, volunteering, or celebrating with friends.
- We can cope with feelings of loneliness during the holidays by staying connected in our community, reaching out to friends, attending local events, or volunteering.
- Financial stress is a real concern for many of us during this season. Many of us get into the habit of thinking that if we don’t overspend, then we can’t celebrate meaningfully.
- To reduce financial stress, challenge yourself to celebrate the holiday season without overspending. This may mean thinking about the quality of a gift rather than its monetary value.
- Here’s another big one – family dynamics! If you have the chance to get together with family, you might find yourself navigating tricky relationships or managing conflicts. Communicating your expectations ahead of meeting family members can be helpful – and declining invitations is always an option. Take a break from a conversation if it’s getting heated – knowing your triggers is helpful in this case. Remember, you can only control yourself, not others. So, practice making the changes that you’re in control of, and remind yourself that the behaviour of others is not in your control.
- Managing family dynamics can mean declining an invitation, communicating your expectations, taking a break from a conversation, and reminding yourself that you can only control yourself, not others.
- Coping with grief during the holidays is a real challenge for many of us. On top of the additional stress of the holiday season, you may be processing the loss of a loved one, or other forms of loss, like the loss of a relationship or a job. Let’s look at some practical ways that we can be gentle with ourselves through grief. Coping with grief during the holidays might look like this:
- Acknowledge and allow your feelings to happen, whether you’re sad, angry, or even joyful.
- Grief is not a linear process, there will be peaks and there will be valleys. Be gentle with yourself through it all.
- Incorporate the memory of your loved one into your holiday: light a candle, share stories, or prepare their favourite dish.
- Skip a gathering if it’s not feeling right for you.
- Limit your commitments: let go of the obligations that don’t serve you.
- Talk to a trusted loved one or a professional: share your feelings and continue processing your grief with someone you trust.
Samira
Simply Counselling Services