There’s no doubt that the holiday season is a cheerful time to celebrate with friends and family. However, there’s another side to this coin that we rarely consider. I’m referring to all the stress, anxiety and pressure that stems from traveling, attending social gatherings and gift hunting for your family.
In fact, up to 38% of Americans describe the holiday season as “very” or “somewhat” stressful for them. The situation is particularly severe for individuals already living with a mental health condition. A whopping 64% of these individuals report that the holiday season exacerbates their condition.
With this in mind, I’ll be sharing my top tips on how to manage mental health during the holidays. Let’s dig in:
Set Realistic Goals
Between tree lighting ceremonies, art fairs and your cousin’s wedding ceremony, there’s usually a large number of social events scheduled for the holidays. Now as much as you’d like to attend them all along with your family, it’s just not possible. If you do, there’s a good chance that you’ll be mentally, physically and financially drained by the time Christmas rolls around.
Instead of trying to be a super mom and achieve everything, prioritize the events that you and your family will attend. Be sure to involve your kids too by offering them choices. For instance, you can ask them to choose between attending the local funfair and going to Disneyland.
By creating realistic goals, you’re setting yourself up for success. More importantly, this reduces the amount of stress associated with planning holiday events.
Prioritize Self-Care
I know what you’re thinking, “how do I find time for self-care when I have a dozen chores to do everyday?” Well, by making a deliberate choice.
As hard as it seems, you need to prioritize your self-care before you start caring for everyone else. Yes, this might come across as selfish. But, it will actually make you more productive in the long-run.
When you spare time to rest, exercise, take a long bath, prep and eat healthy meals, you’re nourishing your body both mentally and physically. As a result, you’ll be more energized and refreshed to take on the holiday activities. But if you’re running on empty, you’ll get fatigued quickly, become more stressed and get irritated easily. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Check In on Yourself Regularly
Another tip for managing your mental well-being entails checking in with yourself regularly. This is a great way to keep tabs on your emotional state so you don’t end up reaching a breaking point.
Come up with a stress or anxiety scale with a rating of 1 to 10. 1 could mean more relaxed and 10 most stressed. You can then rank how you’re feeling at different times of the day. Anytime you rank your stress high, stop what you’re doing and take a mandatory break. Engage in something more relaxing, even if it’s for just a couple of minutes.
The idea behind this is to be more aware of your emotions. This way, you can take the necessary measures to avoid getting mentally and physically drained.
Connect with People
Not everyone is fortunate enough to reunite with their family during the holidays. Perhaps, you lost your family in a calamity. Or, maybe they live too far away to visit. If you can relate to this, you might struggle during the holidays because of the overwhelming feeling of loneliness.
To overcome this, it’s important that you network. Go out there and interact with people in your community. Volunteer at a hospital or assisted living facility. Attend church services, plan a Sunday BBQ for your neighbors among others.
