Mental Health during the Holidays
By Tessa Stevenson MS, LPC
The holiday season is typically associated with spending time near loved ones, joyful spirits, and having the ‘most wonderful time of the year’, but for those of us who struggle with mental health issues, it can be a time of the year that we dread more than look forward to. There are many reasons why people dread the holiday season, including being around family members who increase stress levels or don’t accept you for who you are, having a tough time staying sober, feeling drained and socially exhausted, or feeling financially burdened with the pressure to give gifts. Here are a few reminders of how to take care of your mental health this holiday season
Take breaks when needed- it is perfectly ok to excuse yourself and take time to be alone or with a comforting person when attending holiday events and gatherings. If you are finding yourself becoming easily irritated or noticing a dip in energy and mood, this may be a way of your body and mind telling you to take a break. Go outside and get some fresh air, grab a glass of water and a snack, sit in the car for a few minutes, focus on taking long, deep breaths are a few things among many that you can do to give yourself a break.
Prioritize your needs- along with taking breaks, make sure you are attending to what your body needs throughout the long, busy days during the holiday season. Make sure you are staying hydrated, eating enough food, getting enough sleep, and consistently checking in with yourself to evaluate what you need. It’s okay to sit out from an activity if you feel you need to rest instead, you’ll thank yourself later for not pushing through and ignoring what your needs.
Say no- if no one has told you this yet, it is okay to say no to plans, invitations, or gatherings. Sometimes, we feel pressured to say yes to everything we are invited to only to realize that we have completely overloaded ourselves. You want to be able to enjoy yourself at the events you do attend, so take time before responding to invites to evaluate if it will fit within your schedule without overwhelming you. If you find yourself overbooked,
Practice mindfulness- while it can seem simple, mindfulness is a powerful tool and concept that can help us not only stay present in the moment but also fully enjoy what we are doing. If you find yourself zoning out in the middle of conversations, distracted by thoughts, or simply feeling disconnected to what is going on around you, use grounding techniques to help bring yourself back to the present moment. A few techniques include
checking in with your senses (touch, smell, see, hear, and taste) by focusing on any one sense at a time; if you are having trouble connecting to your senses, grab a sour candy or hold an ice cube to experience a stronger, more obvious sensation
focus in on your breathing and concentrate on feeling the air flow in through your nose, filling up your lungs, and releasing it through your mouth
Practice mindful eating by bringing your attention to each sensation, ex. Describe how your food looks on your plate, focus on the sensation of the food in your hand or mouth
Practice listening to understand rather than listening to respond
Have a plan- sometimes it can help to have a plan for how to remove yourself if the situation you are in becomes too overwhelming, triggering, or if you otherwise recognize you want to leave. Talk with someone you trust or who you arrived with to coordinate a signal you can easily give eachother to discretely let them know it is time to go. This way you avoid them asking questions or delaying the process of leaving, since they will be aware of what your signal means. You can also use signals with your safe person to communicate that you need a break or would like to step away with them for a minute. Planning ahead can make things go smoother and give you peace of mind that you have these signals in place just in case you need them.
Gratitude- take a moment each day to reflect on what you are grateful for, whether that is supportive people in your life, your pet, the sunshine, or even the comfy clothes you are wearing. Practicing gratitude can assist in maintaining a healthy mindset, despite the difficulty of the holiday season.
I hope you are able to find some joy and rest this holiday season, whether it is tranditional or not.
And if nobody has told you yet, I’m happy you are here.