Managing Your Mental Health During The Holidays
While the holidays can be a time of relaxation and being around loved ones, the holidays can also present it’s own set of problems. During the holidays, stressors can arise that can take a person out of the moment of enjoying the time off. Sometimes visiting family during the holidays isn’t a pleasant experience. Or the stress of traveling might easily overwhelm someone. The holidays can be a time where financial stress and pressure can easily build up. It can be so easy for that person to get stuck with the distress and unhealthy behaviors that may follow.
The holidays for some can bring on feelings of loneliness or grief. With the days growing shorter and the winter coming in, depressive symptoms are common to see. All these stressors can lead to overwhelming feelings, but the right help and support is available to you. Below are some ways to stay positive and to reduce distress during the holiday season.
Setting SMART Goals for yourself: SMART goals is an acronym:
S: Is your goal Specific.
M: Your goal is Measurable.
A: Is your goal Attainable.
R: Is your goal Realistic.
T: What is the Time set out of this goal.
Keeping our goals SMART helps us stay on track and keeps our expectations realistic. We want to avoid the common pitfalls of having goals that are not realistic or attainable. If I am not able to accomplish the goals I set out for myself, sadness and other distressful emotions are sure to follow.
Acknowledge How You’re Feeling:
We want to be mindful of how we are feeling. I do not want to judge or interpret how or why I feel a certain way. I want to sit with those thoughts and feelings without judgement. To notice, observe and acknowledge how I am thinking or feeling without reacting to them. It is okay to feel your emotions. There is nothing wrong with feeling sad, guilty, or lonely. Learning to accept our emotions without judgement looks to take away the pain and stress of them.
Creating New Traditions:
With the holidays, a person might be used to the traditions that follow. At times those traditions might be ones that are pleasant and bring on positive interactions with the people closest to them. Or they can bring on unhealthy stress and overwhelming emotions. The holidays can be a time now to set new traditions for yourself. Traditions that are in line with ones values. That bring on positive emotions. Your new traditions can be personal to you or shared with others. To help diffuse the intensity of distressing emotions, we look to live a life that is in line with ones values. There is not better time than now to start making those changes and living by your values more closely.
Self-Care Goals:
Self care is one of the pillars of a persons mental health. Proper self care can be a powerful tool that helps swing you in the direction of positive changes with your mental health. Lack of self care on the other hand has the potential to make distress even more overwhelming. Today is the day to start making positive changes with your self care. Ensuring that we are hitting on all the right areas is critical. Proper sleep hygiene goals, adequate sleep, proper diet, the right amount of physical activity, etc. Have goals set out for self care that you can look forward to. We want to ensure that we are taking care of both our physical and mental health. That we are being kind to our body.
While the holiday season for some is a time to express gratitude and be around loved ones, we know for others that it can bring on a host of stressors. Do your part to remain mindful and vigilant of how you are thinking and feeling during his time. Have goals and expectations for yourself that are positive and realistic. Learn to challenge those beliefs of perfectionism or unrealistic expectations that only cause you distress. Learn that it is okay to make mistakes. In living a life in line with our values, we understand our boundaries are. Pushing past those boundaries can only lead to further distress; we want to make sure we understand and adhere to those boundaries. Learning to say no is an easy boundary to establish but can often be the hardest.
Getting Support:
If your feelings persist or worsen, consider talking to a mental health professional.
Be open with your supports. You are not a burden to them, they are supports for a reason and are there to help you.
Reach out to those around you, and don't hesitate to seek support when you need it.
During the holidays, there are still plenty of support groups, either in person or online, where you can connect with others who are going through similar situations.
