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Taking care of mental health is important even in the holiday season. While we take care of the holiday cheer, we need to do so for our well-being as well.
During Christmas, there're people who find the holiday season to be quite tough, even though many of us consider it to be the most magical time of the year. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), memories of terrible experiences, loneliness, or exhaustion from social engagements are a few of the reasons why people may struggle at this time of year. It's vital to keep in mind that it's common to experience mental health issues at some point during the holiday season.
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Taking care of mental health is vital throughout the year, but if you find that you struggle more during this season, it's critical to give yourself extra attention. For many people, this period can be extremely busy.
How to Look After Your Mental Health This Christmas
A busy schedule can frequently cause us to neglect our self-care. It's fine if you're concerned about establishing a new normal this Christmas season.
It's crucial to adjust at your own pace and look after your mental health as you go. Here're five suggestions to help you over the Christmas season to look after your mental health:
1) Establish Control
It's acceptable if you experience anxiety as a result of how the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the world around us.
Care for your physical and emotional health by exercising whatever control you have over it. If you're concerned about the criteria for your trip, do your research beforehand to feel more secure.
Take a brief digital hiatus if media stress gets to you. Anxiety generally takes over us when we sense a loss of control. Re-establishing it can alleviate stress and take care of mental health.
2) Define the Holiday Season
Setting a start date and an end date for the time frame you define as the Christmas season may be helpful.
You can gain more control over how long the season lasts in your life by defining a specific festive time that can begin and end whenever you wish. While some people may begin their Christmas preparations in November, you may determine that the holiday season begins on December 24 and ends on January 1, for example.
It could seem simpler to manage if the time period were cut shorter.
3) Avoid Food Guilt
Enjoy the celebrations and all the delicious food that goes along with them while you can, even if you don't want to continue eating in the Christmas mode throughout the year.
While everyone else is enjoying the delicacies during the holidays, there's no point in feeling guilty or attempting to restrict yourself. Binge-eating behavior and poor mental health may arise from that.
Enjoy everything in moderation, and give yourself permission to enjoy a little more over the holidays; it's not worth worrying over. If you truly have the time and the ability to do so, you can get back on track.
4) Consider Helping Others
The purchase of gifts is not the only way to demonstrate concern for others. Christmas is the ideal time to reconnect with family members you haven't seen much of recently. Ask them how they're doing and if they have any holiday plans.
Maintaining relationships with those you hold dear requires taking the time to look out for others. Even better, it can strengthen your bond and make you feel fabulous.
Helping out at your neighborhood homeless shelter, participating in charity activities, earning money for a worthy cause, or distributing homemade mince pies in the neighborhood can all help you give more (and not just presents).
5) Maintain Conversations
People get the impression that everyone is joyful around Christmas. If you don't fit that popular picture, that could start to feel lonely.
When we feel sad and are around people, we occasionally worry about how our attitude impacts their lives. Additionally, we could worry that people won't fully comprehend how we're feeling and might pass judgment on us.
When we keep our feelings to ourselves, though, we risk feeling misunderstood and being more alone. For many, sharing with a trusted person can be a beneficial activity, as it frequently inspires to challenge emotions and feel more understood and supported. You might first choose to consult a dependable friend, therapist, or counselor.
Takeaway
For Christmas to truly be the best time of the year, taking care of mental health needs to be at the top of the list of priorities every year.
The holiday season can provide happiness and time spent with loved ones, but it can also bring stress and loneliness. It's crucial to keep in mind to take care of mental health and welfare throughout this period.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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