3 mental health tips for getting through (*cough* we mean enjoying!) the holiday season
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In this post, we share mental health tips for getting you through one of the most stressful (oh we mean magical!) times of the year
Why the holidays can be hard for mental health
There are a few reasons why the holidays can be a difficult time for mental health. You might be excited and anxious about the start of the holidays or perhaps you’re worried about family interactions. The holidays frequently involve situations where interactions with family members can be fraught due to relationships which are fragile and challenging. You may feel that you have to keep up with others, manifested either in expectations for how you’ll behave or even the kinds of gifts you think you should be giving others. This could be extra demanding depending on how you’re feeling, what’s going on in your life, or how you’re doing financially.
Very often, you’re seeing people you haven’t since the last holiday season, with a whole host of expectations. Some of these will be welcome, while others less so. Family members who you don’t normally engage with (on purpose) or peers who have perfected the art of the humble-brag could be some upcoming challenges.
The holidays often pose unrealistic expectations. You might expect the holidays to be ✨magical ✨ and you can be disappointed if holiday magic falls short. The holidays can absolutely be a magical time of the year but unrealized expectations can be a real disappointment. Here’s a few tips that can help your holidays be more magical and less stressful!
1- Set expectations for how the holidays might go and how you want to handle stressful situations
It’s important to manage your expectations when approaching your mental health during the holidays. If you expect that you may need to handle a tough conversation with a loved one during the holidays, it can help to plan for how you will engage with them. Having a plan, grounded in prior holiday experiences, can help the anxiety associated with potential conflicts.
For example, you could decide ahead of time to respond in a specific way if a loved one brings up a situation or topic that you anticipate could be difficult. On the other hand, if you don’t want to engage on that topic you could decide and prepare for setting a boundary with the person. Anticipating and planning for how you might handle stressful situations can be empowering.
2- Pre-plan positive activities to help transition back from the holidays
For many, returning to school or work after the holidays can be tough because the holidays were so uplifting. Conversely, if the holidays were really stressful; due to family disputes, disrupted travel or other issues, you might “need a vacation from the vacation”. It can be helpful to anticipate what you might need after the holidays and take that into account. You can pre-plan some positive activities for yourself. Maybe if you receive a book, movie, or video game as a gift over the holidays, you could plan on checking it out as an activity to bring joy for yourself post holidays. This might make the transition back to work or school easier.
It is common for the new year to be busy, so self-care can easily fall by the wayside. Scheduling self-care activities can be very helpful, whether it’s 30 minutes a night to read a new book or planning to visit a new restaurant on the weekend.
If you’re able to, you could schedule some time afterwards to decompress and prepare for the return to work or school post-holidays. Of course, that option isn’t always available or feasible or you may feel uncomfortable about taking time off. Engaging in positive self care can take many forms and it doesn’t need to cost you much, the important thing is that it’s something you enjoy.
3-Why new year’s resolutions often don’t stick and what to try
New Year’s resolutions can be motivating for people because they evince a sense of community. It can seem as though everyone around you is talking about New Year’s resolutions and you may feel you “have to” have a New Year’s resolution. They can also be helpful as a forcing function to start a new habit that you find challenging to start. Unfortunately, New Year’s resolutions often fade after a few weeks because people move on or drop off and the sense of community and urgency can dissipate over time.
It can help to choose resolutions that you’re interested in or connect with on a deeper level. This can help you stay motivated for longer than just the beginning of January. For example, if you want to cultivate more mindfulness and you enjoy drawing and connect deeply with art, perhaps establish a New Year’s resolution to practice the skill and sketch once a week or every month.
You could also focus on incrementally leveling up your skills starting in the new year! Instead of a goal that extends over the whole next year, creating some bite-sized pieces that can be achieved every week or two. By focusing on leveling up on a particular skill or interest you can continuously set achievable goals and feel rewarded as you look back and see how much you’ve grown.
Lastly, feel free to start now! At the very least, it can feel like a practice run for the new year and at best, you’ll have a running start to help achieve your goals!
Reviewed by: Dr. Gene Yang
If mental health is an area that you’re interested in and you’re looking for something different and fun to try out in the new year, sign up for early access to mindora at https://mindora.app!
