How Prioritizing Self Care During The Holidays Can Make You Feel Better: 6 Effective Techniques

The holiday season can be really stressful to deal with at times, which is why it is very important to prioritise and practice self care during the holidays. Holiday self care is not just important, itโ€™s essential. So, how to practice self care during the holidays? Letโ€™s find out!

KEY POINTS

  • According to one study, 38% of people say the holidays cause more stress, depression, and anxiety.
  • Sleep is important because the brain needs it to function effectively, efficiently, and productively.
  • Before overextending oneself, it is best to be aware that the effort may not result in the reactions that one hoped for.

The holiday season can be an exciting time, but it can also be incredibly stressful for many peopleโ€”especially when we ignore or marginalize our self-care.

According to the American Psychological Association, 38% of people surveyed said their stress increased during the holiday season, which can lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. The reasons given were lack of time, financial pressure, gift-giving, and family gatherings.

When we forget to focus on self care during the holidays, a Pandoraโ€™s box of mental health issues can arise, such as a negative attitude, physical exhaustion, resentment among family members, and physical symptoms of burnout.

In another survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 68% of survey participants felt financially strained, 66% experienced loneliness, and 63% felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Self-care can help mitigate most of these problematic issues. Here are six effective techniques that you can implement to make this holiday season more enjoyable and satisfying.

Related: Mental Health and Holidays: How to Safeguard Your Mental Health Amidst Holiday Hustle And Bustle

How Prioritizing Self Care During The Holidays Can Make You Feel Better

1. Practice mindfulness.

Try not to let freneticism interfere with your ability to make your holiday season enjoyable. Whether itโ€™s holiday music, decorations, or the fir trees, take time to stop and notice.

Try to focus on those aspects mindfully. To make the season feel more special, think about what excites and makes you love the holidays.

Self care during the holidays

2. Sleep.

Our brains need sleep to function effectively, efficiently, and productively. Make sure you donโ€™t forget the critical importance of sleep. Poor sleep also negatively impacts our mood and interactions with others.

Maybe youโ€™re telling yourself that thereโ€™s no time for sleep, but functionality decreases with less sleep. If you make getting the right amount of sleep a priority, youโ€™ll feel surprised that youโ€™ll get the same amount done, but with less negative interpersonal, physical, and mood impact.

3. Set boundaries.

When you set a holiday boundary, youโ€™re doing it because of how you felt the prior year. The boundary is a way to rescue yourself from that same feeling. However, that doesnโ€™t mean that people around you will not challenge the boundaries you set.

If you decide to bake 5 trays of cookies instead of 10 or set up 1 tree instead of 2, stick to it, despite any cajoling you get from other people. Saying โ€œnoโ€ to them is saying โ€œyesโ€ to yourself.

Related: 24 Simple Self-Care Ideas For The Holidays and Beyond

4. Delegate.

The highlight of the holiday season for most people is sharing time with their family and loved ones, which can even include enjoying all the preparation.

You may feel itโ€™s easier to do everything yourself, but donโ€™t be afraid to delegate tasks to other people. If you set a precedent of including others, you create shared experiences. This will yield a greater sense of collective joy.

5. Take โ€œyouโ€ time.

Ask yourself if you wish someone would do something nice for you or wish you had time to do something nice for yourself. Meditate on that question. Realize that if you donโ€™t value yourself as much as everyone else around you, resentment will build.

So, donโ€™t wait for someone else, take that walk, get that massage, or go to that movie. When you take care of โ€œyou,โ€ your mood and efficiency will noticeably improve.

Self care during the holidays

6. Donโ€™t overextend.

Itโ€™s quite common for us we push ourselves to make the holiday season extremely nice for our familiesโ€”while hoping theyโ€™ll notice the enormous efforts that we made to please them. You could decorate the house, bake their favourite foods, or purchase their wish gifts.

We may even fantasize about their reactions, which may fall short of our expectations. That can lead to resentment and zap our enthusiasm. Stay mindful of the efforts that youโ€™re putting in, asking yourself if youโ€™re comfortable overextending, with the awareness that you may not get the reactions youโ€™re hoping for.

Related: Mental Health And Christmas: 6 Strategies For Preserving Your Peace Of Mind At Christmas

If you commit to implementing these strategies in advance, youโ€™ll hopefully experience less resentment and stress, as well as increased levels of satisfaction, joy, and appreciation this holiday season.

References:

Admin, "Raising Mental Health Awareness During the Holiday Season," (2021) Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program
"McLean's Guide To Managing Mental Health Around the Holidays, (December 22, 2021), McLean Hospital

Written By Jennifer Guttman Psy.D.
Originally Appeared On Psychology Today
holiday season

— Share —

,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

Unsocial Media: The Real Effects Of Screen Time

Unsocial Media The Real Effects Of More Screen Time

Is social media making us less social in real life? Discover the true effects of screen time on face-to-face connections and overall well-being.

Loss of real-life interaction hampers social development.

Key points

A significant amount of real-life social interaction seems essential for the development of emotional and personal skills.

Research suggests that today’s youth has about half the exposure to critical real-life social interaction that pre-internet generations did.

Trends in poor social development among young people suggest the need for urgent attention and specific strategies to enhanc

Up Next

When Grandparentsโ€™ Love Goes Sour: 8 Signs Of Toxic Grandparents And How To Survive Them

Signs Of Toxic Grandparents

Have you ever noticed certain behaviors that make you wonder if your grandparentsโ€™ love might be a littleโ€ฆ off? Spotting the signs of toxic grandparents can be tough, especially when society paints them as the ultimate source of unconditional love and support.

But sometimes, grandparents might cross boundaries, show favoritism, or create a stressful environment that doesnโ€™t quite feel right. If youโ€™ve ever felt uneasy about their behavior, youโ€™re not alone.

In this article, weโ€™ll dive into the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of toxic grandparents and give you some strategies regarding how to deal with toxic grandparents, without causing family drama.

First, let us try to understand what are toxic grandparents.

Up Next

How a Person with Bipolar Disorder Thinks: 10 Things That Cross Their Mind

How a Person with Bipolar Disorder Thinks

Ever wondered how a person with bipolar disorder thinks? Living with bipolar disorder is often a constant ride of highs and lows, not just in mood but also in thoughts.

One moment, someone might feel invincible, brimming with ideas and energy; the next, they may feel crushed by sadness or anxiety, weighed down by self-doubt and exhaustion.

Understanding how a person with bipolar disorder thinks can help you understand better what they might be going through. Today, we’ll dive into what is bipolar disorder, followed by 10 thoughts that often cross the minds of those who live with it.

Let’s start with what is bipolar disorder.

Related:

Up Next

9 Unusual Signs of Low Intelligence That Will Surprise You

Indicators of Low Intelligence That Will Surprise You

When we talk about intelligence, most of us picture sharp-witted people solving puzzles or doing complex math. But the signs of low intelligence can be just as telling, and they show up in ways you might not expect.

A low IQ person often exhibit certain behaviors or attitudes that make them stand out. Whether itโ€™s their inability to adapt or their rigid thinking, these subtle low IQ symptoms say a lot.

Today, we are going to do a deep dive into the 9 unusual signs of low intelligence that might surprise youโ€”because intelligence isnโ€™t just about getting straight Aโ€™s.

Related:

Up Next

How Sleep affects Your Mental Health

The quality and amount of sleep play a huge role in the mental health and mood of an individual.

Even just one night of inadequate sleep can heighten oneโ€™s stress level. Constant lack of sleep and chronic sleep deprivation can alter a personโ€™s disposition and may even lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. In fact, a lot of research is now establishing links between insomnia and depression and how the two can interchangeably affect each other.

Sleep and mental health are broad and complex topics that still need further research to be able to fully grasp and comprehend well about them. All the same, the more we dig deeper w

Up Next

A Letter For Those Who Donโ€™t Understand Chronic Illness

A Letter for those who donโ€™t understand chronic illness.

Dear people who donโ€™t understand autoimmune disease or Chronic Illness:

I know people that have an autoimmune disease and chronic illness. They seem fine on the outside, but thatโ€™s what they want you to see because they have a fear of being judged and misunderstood.

However, in reality, people that deal with these issues may be people who are dealing with diet restrictions. Perhaps they have to go to many doctors to deal with managing pain. They may not be able to do the things that we take for granted.

I personally believe if you have an autoimmune disease, or any other chronic ill

Up Next

Unlocking The Pain Of The Past: 10 Signs Of Repressed Childhood Trauma In Adults

Ever find yourself reacting strongly to situations and not quite sure why? Either you hear echoes of your past, or itโ€™s probably because you listen to your inner child. In this article, weโ€™re delving into the signs of repressed childhood trauma in adults โ€“ those subtle whispers from your younger self that can shape your present.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});