Thriving through the Holidays

The holidays tend to be a stressful time of year for people on multiple fronts. You might struggle with the change in the weather, be missing a family member that passed away, or just feel stressed with all the planning and events coming up. Many different emotions can come up all at once during the holiday season including anger, guilt, sadness, frustration. Trauma triggers might come up for you, increasing unexplained body aches, pains, or emotions.

Tangible tips for the holiday season

• It is ok to say no and not give an explanation
• Plan: meal prep, gift getting, gift wrapping
• Keep it “light”- do a board game, watch football
• Leave festivities when your energy level or gut tells you to, not when you are expected to leave
• Try presence over escape
• We tend to stay in our “family roles” even in the holidays. Take note of where you lean toward. Are you a fixer, a peacekeeper etc.?
• Remember Holidays don’t have to be as good as they were the year before or the same

Tangible tips for managing sadness and grief during the holiday season

• Spend time each day with those you love
• Focus on each other- play a game, share memories
• Embrace solitude/reflect on the past year
• Think about how you want to show up in the new year
• Recognize and acknowledge grief reactions
• Help and be helped- reach out for help, volunteer, donate money
• Giving and receiving, both, strengthen our social bonds

If you find you are struggling with the holidays, please reach out. Our trained supporters are available to assist with accountability, tangible tips for grief and loss, mental wellness check-ins, and traditional counseling. If you have questions you can email me at [email protected].

Together we are better,

Rachel