It’s coming! You’ve already seen the displays in the stores: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Years Eve, and I’m sure there are more. It’s The Holiday Season, a time when stress levels are on the rise for some of us. In fact, In a research study by Healthline, “Sixty-two percent of respondents described their stress level as “very or somewhat” elevated during the holidays, while only 10 percent reported no stress during the season. (Garstkiewicz, 2023) So, the question before us is, how do we cope and remain ENOUGH during what can be trying times? It’s important to maintain our own mental health while also maintaining all the things that go along with holidays. Some techniques to try include: 1.Give yourself a healing space. 2.Allow yourself to reach out for help. 3.Let your needs be known. 4.Express gratitude. 5.Volunteer or give kindness. 6.Give yourself love and kindness too. You are worthy of receiving the gifts of self-love, confidence, self-validation, and mental wellness. You are worthy of gifting yourself a break and pouring into yourself for a change. Being who you are is a gift. Taking care of yourself and loving yourself is a gift. (Watts, 2022) It's also important to give yourself a break during any stressful time in your life. The holidays are so filled with “doing for others” we often forget to “do for ourselves.” Taking a break will help you to recharge physically, mentally, and emotionally after a long period of working or even playing hard. One method of taking a break is to give yourself permission to be unavailable. Yes, that’s right. You can say “No.” It’s ok to NOT do everything for everyone. This is true for any situation, including moving, changing jobs, getting married, having children, and the holidays. When we are always there for others, they start to expect that, and they will continue to ask because they know we won’t say NO. Then we become even more stressed because we have even more to do. Be unavailable sometimes. You can be ENOUGH without being ALL. References
Garstkiewicz, C. (2023, July 27). Self-Love During the Holidays. Retrieved from Clarity Clinic: https://www.claritychi.com/self-love-during-the-holidays/ Watts, I. (2022, December 19). Give Yourself the GIft of Self Love this Holiday. Retrieved from Beautifully Simply You: https://beautifullysimplyyou.com/2022/12/19/give-yourself-the-gift-of-self-love-this-holiday/
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AuthorI am a Performance Enhancement Specialist with a background in Emergency Psychiatric Medicine and Community Addiction. Archives
December 2023
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