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Mental Health and the Holidays

The holiday season is renowned for being a time filled with joy, happiness, frivolity, and most importantly, togetherness. A time spent surrounded by the ones you love most, catching-up and enjoying each other’s company. While this may be the case for many, it can be quite the opposite for others. Regardless of whether you struggle with your mental health, the holiday period may look a little different this year given the impact of COVID-19. This year has brought a lot of separation, isolation (quite literally), sadness and disorder for just about everybody.

Although Christmas is labelled as a time of togetherness, it can also surface a lot of unpleasant memories, emotions and feelings of isolation for many people. This doesn't just apply to those who are spending the holiday alone, either. The expectation of being happy, financial stress, packed calendars and family conflict are only a few reasons why many people will experience mental health challenges this holiday season.

Here are a few tips to help you cope with the pressures of the upcoming holiday period.

1. Plan ahead

Christmas can be a challenging day, and with the end of 2020 fast approaching, it's important to alleviate any feelings of stress or anxiety regarding Christmas plans. If you know you're going to be spending the day alone, make sure you allocate time to do the things you love. This may be going to the beach, cooking your favourite food, or watching your favourite movie. It's important to remember that everybody's Christmas day looks a little different and the main thing is that you make the most of it by filling it with your favourite activities.

2. Acknowledge your feelings and be kind to yourself

It isn't uncommon to feel stressed and anxious, particularly around Christmas time. Acknowledging negative feelings and thoughts is a great way of navigating through your emotions and understanding why you're feeling the way you are. Although Christmas time can be glorified in the media and online, it's important to understand that you don't have to feel on-top-of-the-world the entire time. For some, spending time with family can be an overwhelming task for a variety of reasons, and it can bring a lot of pressure and anxiety to the surface. It's essential to take a breather and prioritise your alone time to recharge and feel like yourself again.

3. Continue to practice healthy habits

Healthy habits can begin to slip around this time of year. While it's okay to let yourself enjoy the Christmas treats, lazing around, and staying up until midnight, you should try to maintain healthy habits such as eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep. All of these habits can help to stabilise your mood, release stress hormones, and enable you to function properly throughout the day.

4. Be financially festive

It's no secret that the festive season can become very expensive, very quickly. If you find that you're unable to spend money comfortably, don't do it. Being financially stressed is not a nice way to start your new year and can lead to anxiety. You don't have to blow your budget to enjoy Christmas time. Consider hand-making gifts or doing something meaningful for your loved ones rather than breaking the bank. As we've all learned throughout this turbulent year, time spent with your loved ones is the best gift you can receive.

5. Manage your expectations and be realistic

Not every part of your festive season has to be perfect. In fact, it's almost guaranteed that it won't be and that is entirely okay. Having high expectations can lead to disappointment, sadness and feelings of inadequacy. If you find yourself locked into too many commitments out of tradition or obligation, let your loved ones know that you need some time to yourself. It can be a very overwhelming time and sometimes we aren't able to fit in absolutely everything we'd like to do or everyone we'd like to see

6. Seek help

If you are struggling to navigate through the festive season, you are not alone. Christmas time can be particularly difficult if you have lost someone special or can't be with your loved ones. Reaching out to someone and talking about how you are feeling can help relieve those feelings of isolation and allow you to take control of your mental health.

How the Peregian Family Medical Centre can help

This holiday season can be difficult, but you aren’t alone. Book an appointment with us to discuss your mental health, or you can contact Lifeline for 24/7 support.

Stay safe these holidays!