Making it Through the Holiday Season

Navigating Your Emotions 

There are so many beautiful things about the holiday season; lights, baking, cozying up by the fireplace. But there are also so many hard things that can come up at this time of year for many people. People may feel the most alone at this time of year or have to see certain family members — which sometimes can also be very stressful. 

Above is a poem I wrote earlier this year after thanksgiving, which is something I will now take with me into the coming years. 

So many of us start to dread the holiday season. We start to mentally prepare months in advance, long talks with our therapists, taking extra mental health days off to recharge from what should have been a calming time. If this resonates with you and your holiday season was nothing like a hallmark movie, know you are not alone. 

Here are some tips and tricks I learned to implement into my season this year that helped me survive the holidays.

1. Know it is okay to say no: 

If there is a social obligation that everyone is begging you to attend, that you are feeling pressure to show up for… you do not have to go. If being in a room does you more harm than good, and all that comes out at these dinner parties is screaming relatives, know you can stay home. You can decline the invitation, and that is perfectly okay. Do not allow the expectations of others to force you to feel uncomfortable or worry. Nothing is worth your mental peace. 

2. Prioritize what you would like to do: 

What do you like to do? Do you want to wake up early with a coffee and read a book? Maybe pick one thing to do just for you next year! Whether you only have ten, fifteen minutes to spare, make sure you carve time for yourself into your day. Sometimes we get so fixated on others at this time of year, which can be a wonderful thing, but we can’t forget about our own self care. 

3. Allow time for rest:

You know what I did on Christmas? I took a nap. As someone who is deeply introverted, sometimes socializing for hours on end, while wonderful to get to see family, it can be exhausting. Sometimes you need a second to go and recharge; take a nap, take yourself on a walk. It can be incredibly beneficial and allow you to feel your best all day long without burnout! 

4. Allow yourself to let the little things go and enjoy the day: 

One of the worst things I have found is when people expect perfection out of the holidays. They expect the day to go a certain way and when it doesn’t, they allow it to derail the whole day… for everyone. I have found the most perfect memories, come from the most perfectly imperfect days. You may end up taking a detour you didn’t mean to, or ordering fast food for dinner because you burnt the turkey.