Trouble Coping with the Holidays? Learn How to Sleigh the Season
The holidays tend to trigger a wide range of feelings and emotions. Whether you love them or hate them, you can use our simple strategies for coping with the holidays to help you stay sane straight through to 2021.
A Guide to Coping with the Holidays
From Thanksgiving through to New Year’s Day, the holiday season can be a challenging time for those who are susceptible to depression, anxiety and other types of mental health issues. But it doesn’t have to be. To help you have a wonderful winter season, we have some simple suggestions you can try.
Set Realistic Expectations
It’s normal to have big hopes and dreams for the holiday season. But in reality, nobody’s holidays are quite like what is seen on the big screen. If you’ve had trouble coping with the holidays in the past, try setting realistic expectations this year, instead of trying to make everything perfect.
Make a Plan of Enjoyable Activities
Before the holiday season gets in full swing, sit down and brainstorm some ideas for fun activities. Whether you choose walking in the park, reading at home or any other relaxing pastime, it’s not hard to find low-cost winter activities that can keep you occupied and content. It doesn’t matter which activities you pick as long as you have a solid plan to fill your days.
Stay Active Throughout the Season
Even though it’s cold outside, it’s important to stay active all winter long. Rather than sitting around watching television, make it a priority to go outside and enjoy the fresh air when possible. Filling your days with enjoyable activities will not only keep you busy, but it will also do wonders for your mood.
Practice Healthy Habits
The holiday season tends to be a time of overindulgence. Between all the big meals and sweet treats, it’s easy for a healthy diet to fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, all this excess can actually cause you to feel worse. By maintaining healthy habits, you can give yourself a head start on having a happy and healthy New Year.
Stick to a Routine
The holiday season can be disorienting for some. To stay sane during this short flurry of activity, it’s helpful to stick to a basic routine. Create a daily schedule to prevent this time of year from disrupting your normal patterns of sleeping, eating, and exercising patterns. Then, stick to it throughout the holiday season.
Phone a Friend or Family Member
It’s common to experience feelings of loneliness this time of year. If you have the holiday blues, call a friend or family member you have been meaning to reconnect with. You might be surprised to learn they could use someone to talk to as well.
Harmony Healthcare Long Island is Always Here if You Need Us
There’s no doubt coping with the holidays can be a lot to manage. We provide a broad range of individual, family and group treatments and medication services for behavioral health issues, including anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
Contact us today to request an appointment.
