Mental Health During the Holidays

Hi everyone! I’ve been pretty busy these last three weeks prepping for Christmas, which is what sparked the need for this blog! This time of the year is filled with all sorts of emotions. Some are happy, some are sad. However, I really wanted to highlight how important it is to recognize and take care of our mental health during the holiday season. It can take a real beating! Here are a few of my personal tips on managing mental health this time of the year!

Acknowledge Your Feelings

When I was a kid, Christmas was so magical and full of joy and excitement! But as an adult, its a bag of mixed emotions for me and many others. This year will be hard for David and I due to the passing of his mom over the summer. I’m finally acknowledging that the joy we normally have each year will be a little duller this time around. I’ve been running around like crazy trying to make it fantastic for him and his family, but as he pointed out to me, I can’t fill a void that isn’t my place to fill. Feeling sad this year is ok.

Take Time to Do for Yourself

Now that I’m married and have my own home to run, I can totally see how my mom would get burnt out on Christmas! It’s exhausting! Women (and sometimes men) are expected to keep the house clean, do all the cookie baking, host guests, decorate, buy gifts, wrap said gifts, and cook up a delicious meal for Christmas dinner. My mom did all this and more and I don’t know how she did it! I’m tired just doing a quarter of these things.

Taking time out for yourself and doing what you want to do to make yourself happy is great for your mental well-being! For me, it’s sitting down with a glass of red wine, a bit of cheese (or a lot), and watching a good Christmas movie. That’s my jam! And mom, because I know you’re reading this- take a break today!!

Have an Action Plan for Toxic People

Toxic people. We all have them in our lives and they usually show up around Christmas. If you know you’ll end up interacting with them around Christmas, have a plan on how you’ll deal with them. For me, there’s certain people that can make me feel bad about myself. My action plan is to simply keep interactions to a surface level so I can minimize the likelihood of finding myself depressed after seeing them.

There ya go! Those are my big 3 tips on mental health during the holiday season! Please comment with your own tips and reach out if you ever just need someone to talk to!