Staying Sane During the Holidays
Even before Covid and lockdowns, the National Alliance on Mental Illness said that 64 percent of people are affected by the Holiday Blues, and that 24 percent say they’re affected a lot. That number is clearly much higher now. And it’s understandable. The holidays bring up a lot of anxiety and stress for people – pressure to buy the right gift, figure out how to budget for the holiday period, too much time with certain family members, too much time without others…finding holiday cheer can be very hard.
Many experts agree that one of the best ways to stay sane during the holidays is to have a holiday game plan. Thinking through and planning out how you’re going to manage and cope. Getting started with a game plan means thinking back to all those holiday pasts and remembering what situations triggered your anxiety and depression. What left you feeling the holiday blues? And also looking around you now to recognize what you anticipate will get you feeling down.
Once we begin recognizing what triggers us, we can start coming up with ways to combat them. Of course – there are times when things are bleaker, and when quick fixes just won’t work. It’s times like these when reaching out to the plethora of available resources and hotlines is the best path.
When it is just about beating the holiday blues, here are some tips:
Focus on the right here and right now. Not on what Aunt June said or did at Christmas 1990. Realize that the present is the actual gift.
Set boundaries for yourself. No one person can do it all. It’s ok if the cake is store bought. When we set boundaries for ourselves, we are saying “I respect me and I love me.”
Saying no is not the equivalent to a swear word. It’s ok to say no. Own it and embrace it!
Take time for you! Set aside time to read, or take a walk, or stare out the window. Anything that gives you time for you.
Make the season about someone else. Drop off a secret Santa gift at your local firehouse, make a donation to a local food pantry. It’s amazing how good it feels to remember what the season is about and bringing that to someone else.
Above all else, remember that in only a few short weeks the holiday season will be over and a new year will be upon us.
