Maintaining Your Mental Health Over the Holidays

If you’re reading this, I am assuming that there is added pressure being put on you right now due to the holiday season. There is an increase in social events that feel like requirements. Gift, gifts and more gifts.. to shop for. And oh no, now there’s a cookie exchange coming up, all while you’re trying to just keep going. The holidays often bring depression and stress swirling up even if we’d gotten a handle on it previously. And while we can’t make all of that go away, we can control how we set ourselves up for this season. I encourage you to implement these recommendations and see how differently the holidays can feel.

Maintain your healthy habits. As I was typing that sentence, I was resisting it. I could hear my mind quickly go to - “that’s not possible” “it’s just too busy a season” “yeah, right…” but it IS possible, being busy is an excuse, I have to be honest and look at what I’m prioritizing. If I still have time to watch my hour long episode of Bravo’s cathartic newest reality show, I have time to meditate for 5 minutes or get to bed on time.

Take a break. Put “free time” in your calendar and don’t make a plan for it. Maybe you end up taking your dog on a bonus walk, spend some time journaling, or listen to some soothing music - or even just sit and stare at the plants in your home or yard. Time to do nothing can make even the most busy and hectic days feel manageable. Try it out with just 30 minutes scheduled weekly to start.

Learn when and how to say no. Some things will just have to wait until after the holiday season, and that’s okay! You won’t be able to go to every single holiday party you’re invited to, and that’s okay! You can so easily, kindly tell someone no by stating the truth - “I am so sorry, there is so much going on and I won’t be able to make it this year..” or “Can we schedule time in mid January to catch up?”

Honor your feelings. The holidays can bring up a lot of emotions. It is proven that the best way to work with and through those emotions is to feel them. Find time and safe places where you can express the emotions coming up - keeping them in hasn’t ever worked out well. Now is not the season to skip a session with your therapist, or support group. Betterhelp is a great option for therapy if you are often on the road because it is all online!

Release the pressure. The holidays will almost never be perfect, and if you’re chasing the nostalgic feelings of childhood you might be running for a while. As society and families grow and change, our traditions and expectations are changing as well! If it’s harder to get the family together in person these days, what’s another way you can all connect? Maybe a video chat, or email thread! Even though the holidays may look different, they can still be special.

Organize that stressful corner. Close your eyes… imagine a place in your home that brings you frustration or stress. What is one simple thing you can do to make it better? Was it your junk drawer? It takes less time than you think to clear that up. Set a timer for 10 minutes and go through what’s in there. Is it something bigger, maybe your garage or closet? You can go ahead and delegate that to us, we’ll happily get it done for you! If you are in the LA area and looking for some help organizing, complete the form here so we can set up a free consultation.