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57 — Stressful Holiday Season? How to Manage Your Mental Health

November 24, 2023

The holidays are stressful. Many people report worsening mental health. This time of year is far from the happiest time of year for many people. In fact, many people report they feel sad, lonely, and stressed during the holidays.
 
If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Here are five things you can do to manage your mental health during the holidays this year.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

  1. The holidays can be a challenging time for many people due to various factors such as family dysfunction, financial stress, loneliness, and grief.
  2. It is common for people to feel stressed during the holidays, and existing mental health issues can worsen during this time.
  3. Strategies for managing mental health during the holidays include designing your holiday season, using the last year test to determine the importance of activities, setting time limits on certain activities, creating a “what not to do” list, and practicing acceptance.
  4. It is important to reach out for support from friends, family, or professionals if needed during the holiday season.

Quotes:

“If you’re one of those people who struggle this time of year, let’s talk about what you can do about it.”

“You don’t have to try to make this the happiest time of the year, but there are some steps you can take to cope with the holidays.”

“Accept that things are tough or that the holiday season is going to be a difficult time and keep going anyway without trying to force happiness on yourself.”

“You might accept that your uncle is going to make political comments at every family gathering instead of wasting time wishing it wouldn’t happen or worrying about it, just accept it.”

“Practice acceptance when it comes to dealing with other people during the holidays.”

Timestamp

0:00:00 Introduction to the topic of holiday blues

0:03:41 Reasons why the holidays can be tough for people

0:06:10 Statistics on the impact of the holidays on mental health

0:08:42 Strategies for coping with the holiday season

0:10:09 Setting time limits on activities

0:11:44 Creating a “what not to do” list

0:12:42 Practicing acceptance during the holiday season

0:13:11 Decorating the house and acknowledging the holidays

0:13:39 Accepting that the holiday season may be difficult

0:14:06 Practicing acceptance with difficult people

0:15:04 Reaching out to someone for support

0:15:34 Getting professional help through online therapy

0:16:05 Offer of a free month of therapy with book preorder

0:16:30 Benefits of starting therapy before the holiday season

0:17:03 Recap of the five strategies for managing mental health during the holidays

0:17:03 Thank you and show credits

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