The holidays are coming…and that can mean seasonal depression or anxiety. The darker, dreary days
influence some of it, with seasonal affected disorder (appropriately, SAD). When there’s less natural
light, we don’t receive as much Vitamin D which dampens our mood. For this one, I’ll talk about how
to see to your own mental health during the holidays – and stay tuned for my second blog post this
month where I’ll begin to talk about how to thrive through the holidays if you have toxic family
members.
Okay, now take a deep breath…and again…and again. You need to master your mind game. Identify
the emotions you’re feeling, as well as any huge life changes you went through recently. These are the
transitions which I coach people through. Next, hear me on this: the holidays don’t have to be perfect!
Focus on the things and people who bring you joy, and don’t engage with those who don’t.
Beyond that, here are a few tips:
1. Plan ahead! Know what your triggers are or where you struggle. If it’s meal planning, then
maybe 8ind a delivery service or buy ready-to-cook options. If it’s too much alone time,
schedule activities with friends. Go into the holidays with the right preparation.
2. Reach out for support! If there’s one takeaway from this, I’d love for it to be don’t go it alone.
Let friends and family – whoever is safe for you – know what’s going on, what you struggle
with, and tell them to check in on you. But be proactive too and get in the habit of talking with
a few people.
3. Create new traditions! If old traditions are painful, then try some new things. Holidays don’t
have to involve doing the exact same things, especially if they aren’t giving you the happiness
or celebratory feeling they should.
4. Get professional guidance! An experienced coach (like me) can walk you through these
challenges and give action strategies (like my life scripts) that will enable you to reach your
goals.
I think one of the key things to remember is that life includes change – you can’t stop it, and you can’t
get away from it. Make your goal to enjoy the holidays, as opposed to simply enduring them with an
anxious mind.
If the holidays are a source of stress for you, let’s talk! Book your discovery call with me to get started.
