For some of us, the holidays (especially Christmas) are not always the best time of the year. Whether bad things happened during this time, the seasonal depression, family wears on you, you’re celebrating a holiday for the first time without someone, etc., there’s just something about the holidays that triggers a dark cloud in your head. Here are my tips on how to take care of yourself during this fragile time that’s meant to bring you joy.
1. Don’t feel obligated to talk to people if you truly don’t want to.
There’s no point in letting yourself suffer through the droning conversations especially if you’re an introvert because it’ll just make you more drained than the holidays are already making you.
2. BUT this doesn’t mean dig a hole and never come out. Schedule some time to talk to people you enjoy being around.
Surround yourself with people who bring you good energy, and if even that seems daunting to you, just try and find even one hour out of a day where you go out and socialize.
3. Utilize your support system.
You don’t have to face this alone. You’ve got friends for a reason, and part of that contract is being there for you when you’ve got the blues. Make sure you communicate with them with what you need so that they know the best way to fully support you.
4. Explore yourself.
If even you don’t know what to communicate with your friends when you’re struggling, take this time to figure that out. Don’t isolate yourself. Make sure to keep in touch of your loved ones so they know how you’re doing. But take as much time as you need to figure out what you need.
5. Find time to do something active every day.
You have to take care of every component of your body and this includes the physical. Taking mental health breaks is healthy, but keeping up with your physique is also just as important because how you feel physically can have a direct effect on your psyche and your productive levels in general.
6. Monitor your time on the phone or on your laptop.
When we’re sad and we don’t want to leave our rooms, it’s so easy nowadays to lock ourselves away from the outside world but also have a way to access it. Social media is good in that it allows us to connect with people we otherwise can’t connect with. But too much of it for the wrong reasons (to avoid contact) can be more of a detriment to your mental and emotional health than anything else.
7. Write a list of things you are thankful for.
This is a very generic thing to do but hand-writing things you are thankful for allows you to reflect on the good parts of your life. The act of writing gives us a space to slow down and just think. We’re forced to be more mindful and be more intentional. Also, having a place to have your things to be thankful for makes it easier for you to come back and look at it with a smile.
8. Change up your scenery.
Go outside. Sit in a different part of the couch. Visit a new library. Explore a new part of the grocery store. Doing these little things will get rid of some of the monotonous parts of your life. It’s easy to feel like you live the same life every day, but remember that there’s always a choice to live differently at any given day.
9. Fake it until you make it.
You gotta do it sometimes. There are some things that we can’t avoid like spending Christmas with your not-so-favorite relatives. But sometimes you can trick yourself into having fun, and it all comes down to faking it. Who knows, it might go a lot better than you expect.
10. Share your struggle.
You don’t ever have to hide what you are going through. Some people prefer to hide it, and that’s fine. But there’s a sense of comfort in sharing and then finding other people who go through the same experiences as you do. Now, I’m not saying pour your heart out to a stranger. I’m just proposing that society is slowly approaching a path in which mental health is not considered a stigma, and you can contribute to this path by sharing your struggle. Maybe there’s someone out there who needs to hear that someone else is also going through the holiday blues. I’ve never heard anyone having a bad time sharing their experiences with other people.
Whether there’s a reason for those holiday blues or not, know that many people go through this. It’s not always a jolly time, so don’t feel like you’re a sore thumb. But it’s important to do what you can to take care of yourself. If you’ve got more intense feelings of hopelessness and loneliness in the holidays, also know that seeking out healthcare professionals is always an option.