5 Healthy Ways To Cope With The Holiday Blues This Season

It’s that time of year again, where families and loved ones gather to enjoy the festive season together. For some, the holiday season is the one time of year the whole family gets together. But for some, reuniting with family and loved ones isn’t always easy. Struggling with the holiday blues? These tips will help you prioritize your mental health for the holidays!

Regardless of what you celebrate, the holidays are always painted to be a joyful time. But for many people, the holidays prove to be a trying time for their mental health. For some, the holidays and depression may go hand in hand.

It could be your first year spending the holidays without a loved one who has passed. Or maybe the pandemic and your inability to see family has impacted your relationship with them. Whatever it may be, it’s perfectly normal to feel a little overwhelmed this time of year.

Though the Importance of Family During the Holidays should not go overlooked, we understand getting together with family for an extended period of time is not always the easiest. Throw in the fact that we’re dealing with a global pandemic, and things don’t get easier. Over the past year, many people found themselves figuring out how to deal with quarantine depression. 

This holiday season, we want to give you some healthy tips on how to manage your mental health for the holidays. 

If you embrace these tips, you’ll enjoy your holiday season to the fullest! 

Stick to your routine as much as possible

Though the holidays are a lot about living in the moment and creating new memories, it’s also important to keep up with the everyday things that make you feel good.

We encourage you to try sticking to your health and fitness routine as much as possible during this time. If there’s a certain mindfulness or meditation routine you follow to stay grounded, it’s also important to keep up with that.

Keeping up with your normal routine will bring a sense of normalcy to your life. 

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead can help improve your mental health for the holidays. When you know what to expect, the experience can be a lot less overwhelming.

A big thing that induces stress during the holidays is buying gifts. The process can be long and frustrating, especially given the pandemic. Create a schedule and decide what days you’re going to go out and shop for gifts. 

Also be mindful and plan ahead when it comes to your medical appointments. For example, if you’re someone who participates in therapy, it can be easy to skip your session due to the holidays. Rather than skip it, try and schedule it around your plans so you’re keeping up with your mental health routine.

Looking to find a reputable therapist? Checkout Connect2Heal where you and your family can connect with the physician that is right for you and your needs. 

Planning ahead and sticking to a schedule will help you juggle your priorities in a healthy manner.

Don’t be afraid to say “no”

If there’s a certain event you don’t want to attend—don’t be afraid to say no! Setting boundaries is great for your mental health. Even though it may feel difficult at the moment, setting boundaries allows you to show up as your best self when you do spend time with your loved ones.

If you set healthy boundaries, you’re helping keep both yourself and your loved ones sane and you avoid spreading yourself too thin. At the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone. If you can’t attend an event because you don’t have the mental capacity to do so that day, don’t attend. 

This will help keep you rejuvenated for the events you do choose to attend. 

Set Realistic Expectations

No family is perfect. It’s only expected that you’ll butt heads with the aunt you never seem to see eye-to-eye with, and thinking otherwise may be wishful. By setting realistic expectations that things will not all go smoothly, you’re saving yourself from being disappointed.

We’re not saying to go in planning to argue with your aunt. But, rather go in knowing you’re going to try your best to make things go as smoothly as possible. As long as you’re putting in the effort to try and have a good time, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to act perfectly. 

Take COVID-19 Precautions

It’s no secret the world we live in looks different from past years. Holidays are already overwhelming, but throw in a global pandemic and things can get even crazier. Over the past nearly two years, people have been finding themselves having to learn how to deal with quarantine depression.

This holiday season, you can gather with your loved ones but it’s important to take precautions. Before gathering, be sure to:

• Limit the amount of people at your gatherings. Each state has different laws on how many households are allowed to gather. Be sure to be mindful of this when creating your holiday plans.
• If you feel sick—stay home! And take the appropriate precautions to get tested. It can be so hard to miss out, but you want to take the health and safety of your loved ones into account. 
• Be sure to practice proper hygiene. Wash your hands and wipe down surfaces frequently.

By taking these precautions, you will be able to gain peace of mind. This will help improve your mental health for the holidays, because you know you’re doing what you can to keep people safe.

We encourage you to remember these tips next time you’re worried about the holidays and mental health. This season, remember not to lose sight of living in the moment and embracing the time you have with your loved ones. 

By remembering these tips you’re encouraging yourself to practice self care. A little self care goes a long way, when it comes to living a long, healthy, happy, and fulfilled life.