Protecting your mental health during the holidays
It’s the holiday season, and while most people are excited to spend time with friends and family, it can also be a stressful time. You may feel overwhelmed by feelings of anxiety or depression. Here are some tips for coping with holiday stress (Protecting your mental health during the holidays):
Distressing seasonal or holiday events are very common.
If you’re like most people, the holidays are a time for family, friends, and lots of food. But it can also be stressful. Holiday events can be depressing, anxiety-provoking, and triggering—all in one sitting!
Dealing with the mental health aspects of these events can be difficult.
You don’t have to suffer alone. It’s normal to be stressed during the holidays, and you can get help from a therapist or counselor. If you’re having trouble coping with your situation, there are many things that you can do in order to cope more effectively:
- Exercise regularly
- Take time for yourself each day (even just 5 minutes)
- Eat healthy foods and avoid inflammatory foods like dairy products, gluten-containing grains, and processed food
If these tips don’t work well enough for you then consider seeing an occupational therapist who specializes in helping people with mental health issues manage their symptoms so that they’ll feel better overall regardless of whether it’s Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Shout out to Protecting your mental health during the holidays.
You might feel alone until you find the right people to talk to.
You might feel alone until you find the right people to talk to.
When it comes to mental health, no one is immune from feeling down or stressed out during the holidays. But there are ways for us all to manage our emotions and get through this time of year more easily. Here are some tips:
- Ask for help from family members, friends, and community members who care about your well-being—they may be able to give advice on how best to handle certain situations that cause stress in their own lives as well as yours.* Talk with a therapist or counselor if necessary.* Make use of resources offered by organizations such as AA meetings or 12-step programs (like Alcoholics Anonymous), which often provide support groups where others can relate experiences similar to theirs.* Seek professional guidance if necessary through getting treatment at an outpatient facility like an addiction center; however this option may not be available everywhere due largely because insurance coverage varies widely depending on location so finding out ahead might prove helpful before making any decisions at all!
Some people use alcohol or drugs to cope with the holiday stress.
Some people use alcohol or drugs to cope with the holiday stress. This is a problem if you don’t know how to stop using these substances, which can lead to addiction. It’s important for you to get help if you are using alcohol or drugs to cope with stress because doing this can cause long-term health problems, including depression and anxiety disorders.
It’s normal for holiday stressors to trigger depressive symptoms in some people.
It’s normal for holiday stressors to trigger depressive symptoms in some people. For example, if you’re feeling moody or irritable, that might be a sign of depression. Depression can also be a symptom of other mental health issues like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or bipolar disorder. In fact, any type of mental illness. And not just depression—can cause holiday stressors to come into play during the holidays:
- Mental illness is associated with increased rates of substance abuse during times when people are under more strain and pressure than usual due to social demands or family expectations. A person with an addiction problem might find it harder than usual to resist alcohol because he needs it to feel better when he’s stressed out by his family gatherings. Or maybe someone who suffers from OCD finds herself obsessing about her kitchen countertops until she can’t stand it anymore and breaks down crying over nothing at all…
Mental health professionals and family members can help with various aspects of mental health care, including depression management, anxiety treatment, grief and loss support, risk-reduction counseling, symptoms identification, and much more.
But what if you’re not a mental health professional? What if you’re just a friend with a loving heart and some time on your hands?
In that case, here are some tips for helping out:
- Offer support by listening. If someone is struggling with depression or anxiety, they may not feel like talking about it—but hearing their story can be enough to lift their spirits and help them get back on track. You don’t have to do anything specific in order for this kind of support; just being there is enough!
- Remind people that no matter how bad things look at any given moment in time (or even if nothing seems different at all), there’s always hope for improvement—and that no one should ever give up hope because “things will get better.” It’s OK if things don’t work out immediately; sometimes we need time before we see positive results from our efforts (whether those efforts are physical exercise routines or making healthier food choices).
If you’re having a hard time seeing a therapist or a counselor during the holidays, reach out to someone you trust
If you’re having a hard time seeing a therapist or counselor during the holidays, reach out to someone you trust. Maybe it’s an old friend who can listen and give advice. Or maybe it’s a family member who understands what it means for you to be alone during this time of year. The important thing is that the person knows how important their support is, so they’ll help keep things in perspective and make sure that everything goes well for both of you!
If all else fails (which isn’t likely), there are other options: call a hotline at any number of mental health organizations; speak with your doctor about getting some medication so that negative thoughts don’t get more than halfway through before being chased away by happy memories, or even talk with someone online through platforms like Psychology Today’s Facebook page!
Conclusion
As you can see, dealing with holiday stressors can be a challenge. But if you’re having a hard time seeing a therapist or a counselor during the holidays, reach out to someone you trust. They’ll be able to help with various aspects of mental health care, including depression management, anxiety treatment, grief and loss support, risk-reduction counseling, and much more.