Efforts to define impacts on people’s mental health over the holidays inevitably fail. For some, it’s a time of slowing down, working less, and having fun. For others, workload increases (or, at least, doesn’t slow down), and time off doesn’t exist. Some people are thrilled and eager to see family, while others dread it and all the baggage and trauma these visits can bring. Routines are off, expectations are sky high, and the sugar and alcohol are flowing. Almost no one emerges from the holidays feeling physically healthier, which means a toll on mental health, as well.
Here are four tips to help you emerge from the holiday season feeling mentally healthier:
- Take care of your body – I know those frosted cookies and peppermint schnapps look and smell amazing. Resisting them totally is unrealistic – but, approaching eating and drinking mindfully over the holidays will help you make better decisions about what and how much you eat. Eat slowly, in small bites, savoring each one, and be sure to include healthy food choices in your holiday meals and snacking. Also, don’t forget sleep – maintaining a sleep schedule that allows for at least 7 hours of sleep per night promotes emotion regulation, good concentration and decision-making, and regulates many vital systems in your body. The more alcohol you drink, the poorer your sleep quality, so put the cork in that bottle of wine.
- Say no/don’t over schedule – As a parent, and someone who likes a lot of stimulation in general, my tendency is to become excited about various holiday events, start booking them, and then look at my calendar in early December and wish I had ratcheted myself down by about 25%. And those are things I’d actually WANT to do, not things that feel obligatory. As the holiday season approaches, consider each invitation, event, and obligation mindfully. Don’t commit right away – look at your calendar and consider how it will fit in with your normal routine and pre-existing plans. Consider scheduling in rest time in the same way you’re scheduling holiday events. Practice saying ‘no’ to family, friends, and your kids, even if there’s guilt associated with it.
- What really matters? Check in with your values – Spend some time thinking about the things that truly matter to you during the holiday season. This could be values such as connection, giving, spirituality, rest/reflection, tradition, family/friends, remembrance, service, etc. It’s remarkably easy to lose track of these values and become distracted by the shiny things around us (squirrel!). You’ll come through the holiday season feeling more grounded and connected to yourself if you align your holiday activities to your values.
- Consider an end-of-year reflection/ritual – The positivity of the New Year and resolutions can be enticing – who doesn’t want to feel like they’ll be a new person by the end of January? However, our growth is fostered by reflection upon past goals and progress toward those goals (or failure to meet them). We also grow by evaluating our relationships, our successes, our struggles, what has brought us joy or sorrow. Developing an end-of-year, introspective ritual (e.g., journaling, getting together with a close friend or your therapist to have a deep conversation, a self-retreat to the mountains) will help you create more targeted and achievable goals for the new year.