Society likes to paint holidays as an exciting, positive, joyous time.
While it can be that, we want to acknowledge and normalize that this can be an extremely difficult time as well, for a variety of reasons, regardless of if you partake in any holiday traditions or not.
We want to talk about that today and share 6 tips to help minimize the unwanted holiday guests–like increased stress, anxiety, depression–during the upcoming holidays.
Check in with yourself. Pay attention to your own needs. Listen to your body.
Holidays often come with increasing demands of our time, space, and emotions. You are the person who knows yourself best! Set yourself up for success by making sure you are getting enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, and planning ahead to make sure you have enough time for everything. If this is a struggle for you, challenge yourself make a conscious effort to address one or two of these things starting today.
Maybe now is a good time to practice or to learn about new healthy coping skills like:
- Meditation to clear your mind and regulate your emotions- if you don’t know how to do that, there are lots of apps you can try that provided guided meditations
- Exercise
- Journal to help yourself identify how you really feel
Say no.
Sometimes we cannot say no. That is a reality of life, but you can take a look at the things you can say no to and prioritize your tasks, events, and the experiences you want this holiday season. Saying yes when you want to say no can lead to feeling overwhelmed and resentful, and exhausted (physically and emotionally). Here are some examples of things it’s ok to say no to:
- Spending more money than you want to or can afford because you feel pressured
- Alcohol, if it is a problem for you
- Time commitments that are unrealistic for you. Maybe you can bake 1 dozen cookies instead of the 10 dozen that your aunt Mary asked you to do
- Spending time with people who bring you down, even if they’re family!
Take charge.
If you are someone who usually doesn’t enjoy holidays or gets triggered by holidays, work on making them into something new and different that YOU will enjoy. Start your own traditions that make you happy. Does anyone have any unique holiday traditions they want to share? Tag us on Instagram: @sctccwellness
Be realistic.
Set realistic expectations for yourself and what you envision your holiday season to be. Striving for a picture-perfect scene you have in your mind may be setting yourself up for disappointment. If things do not work out according to plan, you may miss out on the great things that are a part of the experience because it did not meet your expectation. Remember, you are one person and only have so much time and energy to give.
Practice gratitude.
Gratitude is about appreciating the good around us and choosing to focus on the things we are thankful for–little, big, and everything in between. Increase your gratitude by consciously taking time out of your day to reflect on what you are grateful for. Write down Three Good Things you are grateful for each night before you go to sleep for 2 weeks. A few tips on this practice:
- It is more effective to write by hand rather than using an electronic device
- Do this each night before you go to sleep
- The items you write can be short and specific
- Commit to this practice for 2 weeks
- Having a hard time thinking of something? Expand your reflection to past experiences or the bigger picture of your life or something positive you noticed in your day.
Research shows completing Three Good Things reduces depression and increases happiness. THIS IS LITERALLY REWIRING YOUR BRAIN!!!!!!! Read more about Three Good Things from the Bounce Back Project here.
Talk to someone.
Making connections and spending time together can be one of the joyous parts of the holiday season. Having genuine conversations, including those about struggles and stresses can create more meaningful connections. Don’t want to rain on the parade? Ask yourself: If my friend/family member needed support, would I want to know about it? Chances are that answer is yes!
Not sure who you could talk to, but need support? SCTCC students have access to free short-term counseling. Request an appointment here.