The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, love, and celebration. However, for many individuals, the holidays can be a source of anxiety, and emotional overwhelm. In this post, we'll explore common mental health challenges during the holidays and provide practical coping strategies for a more joyful season.
During the holidays, anxiety can run rampant for a variety of reasons. Some more typical reasons for holiday stress include managing large gatherings, dealing with difficult family members, managing finances, and balancing social obligations. These situational forms of stress can certainly lead to a more serious anxiety disorder. Some individuals can develop panic attacks without managing these stresses preventatively.
For others, trauma can be triggered. Some examples of family-related trauma include grief around the loss of a loved one, the challenges of managing a family members addiction, and generally having a history of more negative experiences around the holiday's compared to others.
Whichever situation you find yourself in, there are some tips to keep in mind that may help you through.
1) Prioritize your self care- Make sure that you are taking care of yourself first in whichever way helps you remain calm and composed. Some examples including daily prayer. meditation and/or quiet time, exercise (walking, running, gym time, etc.), engaging in other hobbies (painting, playing an instrument, sewing, photography, etc.). The more consistent you are in your daily self-care, the more long term contentment you will find.
2) Set Boundaries- Don't be afraid to say no to any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed, or weighs you down in any way. For those who have experienced trauma, this is very difficult, but practice in small increments can make a huge difference. People will start to expect less from you if you take on less responsibility.
3) Seek support- One of the best options is to seek help from trusted family, friends, church members and clergy, and mental health professionals, to give you emotional support and guidance through these particularly triggering times. Doing this preventatively can be even more effective, rather than waiting for a crisis. Having an outsiders perspective can really help you maintain objectivity and stay out of the emotional rut that often seems to be inevitable.
4) Create new traditions- Don't forget that you can establish a positive holiday tradition by creating new traditions that feel good and promote healing. Some examples include volunteering, traveling to new places, practicing daily gratitude, and finding trusted friends to start new traditions with.
5) Allow yourself to feel- This may sound silly, but all too often, individuals who are really struggling emotionally during these times, can subconsciously suppress their emotions. This can exacerbate issues, and unfortunately our mental health struggles that go untreated may begin to rear their evil heads in other ways such as substance abuse, passive aggressive or just aggressive communication, self-harm, and isolation. So finding a way/place to feel all these emotions will help your work through them more effectively.
In conclusion, remember that you are not alone in your struggles. The holiday season can be challenging, but with the right support and coping strategies, you can navigate this time with greater ease, hope, and maybe even a little joy.
About the Author
Julia Dawoud is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Tampa Christian Counseling, a group practice in Tampa, FL. Julia has 10+ years of experience working in the field of mental health.
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