Maintaining Your Mental Health During the Holidays

Sadly, the holidays are not a holly jolly time for everyone. Many people experience intense depression, loneliness, anxiety, and "the blues" during the winter season.

According to NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness), 64% of individuals living with a mental illness felt that their condition worsened during the holiday season. People working experience amplified stress, heightened emotions, financial burdens, and sometimes overwhelming sadness. 

Dr. Lloyd Sederer says, “Sadness and anxiety are frequent feelings during the holidays. Running from them will only worsen your distress.” Perhaps DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) and mindfulness would be beneficial for some to practice during these times. Studies have shown that people stress over buying their kids "cool new toys," preparing good food and being a good host, and even being around certain family members.  This increase in cortisol and other stress zones severely impacts our mental health.  

Finally, thinking about people we have lost around the holiday time hits extra hard.  We miss them and wish they were with us, and the holiday season often reminds us of them. All of these things mentioned can lead us down a very deep rabbit hole. 

Please remember to be kind to yourself, as well as your loved ones, this holiday season. Do something nice for yourself- take yourself out to a spa, cuddle a cute pet, treat yourself to that expensive cup of coffee, meditate, book a yoga session, read a good book by the fireplace and remember: This feeling is only temporary.