Since the holiday season is in full swing, I thought it would be a great time to talk about coping with holiday stress.
For most people, the holidays are seen as being full of happiness and joy. It’s a season to spend time with your families and be happy making memories.
What I feel we forget is the fact that some people have difficulty making it through the holidays for various reasons. Maybe they have lost a loved one recently or maybe they cannot be with their loved ones due to the distance of where they live. There are so many reasons someone may struggle through the holiday; we just don’t know. All these reasons are valid and the individual going through this situation should be able to take time not only to take care of themselves but find ways they can enjoy the holidays on their own terms. Maybe that means having a plan of action where they can participate with family members and loved ones at their own pace.
The stigma still surrounding mental health and mental illness issues has no place in today’s society. No one should feel like less of a person for the struggles they face in this world. Part of the problem that makes mental health issues worse is that people feel isolation and shame for being unable to express their feelings. Not enough is known about these issues and that makes the general population uncomfortable. The more we allow this subject to be left in the darkness, the more unnecessary fear will continue to plague our loved ones and the family members of those people. Because we have so many resources available due to technology, we should do everything we can to learn more about how mental health affects our loved ones. If we can help locate valuable information, we can be a guiding light in their lives so they can feel supported and heard all the time.
Either way, it is time to take the subject of stress and mental health out of the shadows and make it more acceptable for people to be open about the struggles they face. This may even be a subject that makes some people feel uncomfortable to talk about. If we can open real lines of communication with the people we love and trust so they can see other people have vulnerabilities too, they would not feel so alone. Because mental health issues are invisible disabilities, they sometimes don’t get the attention or even the credibility they need so they can be properly addressed. Starting the conversation can at least give people a chance to learn from one another. This dialog may also be a way for people to find out what they can do to support that person in their lives.
It is also a good idea to have a safe space to go to where a person can speak freely with others going through the same experiences. There are so many avenues that can be explored so that people do not feel alone on their journey. Keeping to a familiar routine can be a way to minimize the anxiety of upcoming festivities. Implementing time management strategies into your life so that you don’t spread yourself to thin when deciding which festivities work for you. Maybe journaling or tapping into an artistic outlet can help them manage their situation in the moment. Then they can get back to the task at hand that needs to be addressed.
We should be mindful of our mental health and of those we care about not only during the holiday season but throughout the year. This is one way to ensure everyone we care about knows they are supported and have people in their corners that will have their back. We should be there all the time to support our friends, family and neighbors when they need us. There are things we can do to help the people around us know they are not alone in their struggle.
People need to know that it is totally okay to have difficulty around this or any other time of the year. We need to be kind to one another and really lend an ear not just as something that sounds like the trendy thing to do but as something that becomes the common place thing to do for one another.
Taking the lead to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues in our communities comes with numerous benefits. Talking more openly about our mental health as part of a complete wellness approach will open communication about this topic between individuals, their families and the community. Strategies and solutions that work for the person can be implemented seamlessly into their lives. Once these conversations are brought into the mainstream, the positive results can increase not only during the holiday season but throughout the entire year.