How To Survive The Holiday Season
The holiday season is supposedly a time of joy, fun, connection, and loads of delicious dishes. However, that’s not the case for everyone. Especially for those that struggle with anxiety or don’t have the best relationships, the end-of-the-year holiday festivities can bring a great deal of stress and a desire to escape. Luckily, there are various ways to help you easily get through the holidays.
First things first, if you want to survive the holiday season, you have to make sure that you’re prioritizing your physical health. Just because it’s cold outside and the desire to move your body may not be there, making sure that you care for your body will have tremendous benefits. Even just a 10-minute stretch, walking around the block, or jumping jacks, will move the stagnant energy stored in your body and increase your blood flow. This is important because most people use the holidays as an excuse to ditch their daily habits, and overindulge. While that may feel good at the moment, the temporary thrill can have negative consequences. This is why if you make it a priority to keep up with your physical health, you will no doubt feel stronger and more at ease throughout the end-of-the-year festivities. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or the last thing you do before bed, moving your body will release any tension and increase your self-love. Starting small with the movement you enjoy will help train your body and mind to make it a habit. Over time, you’ll find how much you appreciate the time you spend with your body and won’t even want to miss a day.
The next way to survive the holidays is to participate in the traditions that you enjoy and ditch the rest. Family or cultural traditions around the holidays are generally a way to increase holiday spirit, connection, and an overall sense of purpose or meaning. Whether it’s putting up lights, decorating a tree, or lighting candles, participating in the activities that bring you joy will help you feel included and happy during the holiday season. On the other hand, if you strongly dislike a tradition for whatever reason, give yourself permission to not participate. Another way around dull traditions that don’t bring you joy, is to create your own traditions that you enjoy. Starting your own traditions is a great way to assert your independence and begin creating new positive memories around the holidays. Create your own traditions by starting with an intention, and then decide who will be involved. It’s perfectly fine to create solo traditions but if you decide to include others, you can divide up the planning and tasks. The beautiful thing about creating your own traditions is that they can be as complex or as simple as you want. Even planting a tree is a great way to increase the holiday spirit. All that really matters is that you’re creating meaningful experiences that bring you and those around you joy!
Because the holidays are usually the time when family and distant relatives get together, it can be difficult to separate others’ opinions from your own, and not let them affect you. This is where boundaries come in handy. Setting boundaries is essential to surviving the holiday season because it can protect you from verbal or physical interactions that you don’t want. Furthermore, it is a respectful way to engage with your family. The point of boundary setting is to inform others on how to properly treat and respect you. Some signs that you may need to set a boundary include feeling like you can’t voice your opinion, feeling drained and disrespected after an encounter, or feeling like you’re always the one that has to take care of others and things. If people over-rely on you, criticize you, or make you feel like you have to walk on eggshells, it is a good indicator that you have an opportunity to place boundaries. While setting boundaries may seem scary, they are really just giving you permission to put yourself first and make sure that your needs are valued. To begin, make sure that you are in tune with your feelings and needs by making a list of your non-negotiables. Do you require 8 hours of sleep or some alone time after a family function? Whatever it may be, get clear on what will help you be your best self and begin effectively communicating this to others. Boundary setting takes practice, but there is no better time to start than the holiday season!
Last but not least, if you’re preparing yourself for the holiday season but feeling overwhelmed, talking to an online therapist is a great way to get clarity and tools around navigating these circumstances. Furthermore, a licensed professional can guide you through healing past holiday trauma and experiences that may have left a negative effect on you. Every holiday season is a new opportunity to create positive experiences and spend time with those you love. If you’ve been struggling with your mental health, having someone that understands will empower you to take on this holiday season with courage and strength. With therapy, you can get to the root problems within you and move through them. Whether you’ve had to deal with body shaming around the holiday season or have recently lost someone close to you, understand that each holiday season gives you an opportunity to bring your attention to gratitude and all of the beauty in your life.
Overall, surviving the holiday season can seem like a lot to handle even though it’s supposed to be a fun time. If you put these few tips in your toolbox, you will feel equipped to attend and participate in the holiday season. Prioritizing your physical health will help you feel equipped to survive the long hours celebrating and one too many pieces of pie. Participating in holiday traditions is a great way to increase your happiness and connect you with others, however, don’t feel ashamed if you want to sit one of these activities out. Lastly, setting boundaries and speaking to a mental health professional, can significantly help you shape new positive experiences around this time of the year. Regardless of the demands of the holiday season, remember to put your physical and mental health first so that you can enjoy whatever holidays you choose to celebrate!
Catalina McFarland
Catalina McFarland holds a B.S. in Communication from Arizona State University. She is a holistic health coach and blogger at catasparkle.com where she loves sharing her passion for wellness. Outside of writing, she loves traveling, doing yoga, and reading.
