Managing Stress Around the Holidays

The upcoming holiday season is typically described as “the most wonderful time of the year”. However, the frenzy of activity and the additional financial pressure may cause higher levels of stress for many people. Or for others, there may be increased feelings of loneliness. Added to this is the additional stress of the pandemic. Getting together with friends and family may look different, and all of this can negatively impact our mental health.

This season, try making your mental health and wellbeing a priority. Read on for some tips that may help you to manage the stress of the upcoming holidays.

Accept your feelings: Be kind to yourself, and allow yourself to experience your emotions. Acknowledging our emotions is the first step to being able to develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Connect with others: Reach out to friends or family if you are feeling lonely. Even if you are unable to meet in person, try arranging a virtual coffee date.

Limit expectations: It’s important to be realistic. Holidays are not always going to be perfect, and this year may look different from previous years. Try to accept this, and maintain realistic expectations.

Create a budget: Before you splurge on gifts that you may not be able to afford, create a budget and stick to it. Spending less money on gifts or buying fewer gifts will decrease some of that financial pressure that many people will experience this time of year.

Set boundaries: Knowing when to say no, or how to establish healthy boundaries, can be a helpful way to reduce some of the frenzy of the holiday season. And if it’s not possible to say no, try taking something else off your plate.

Diet, exercise, sleep: Don’t forget that our physical health and our mental health are intertwined. Maintaining healthy habits during the holiday season can help to lower stress levels. Have a healthy snack before holiday meals to prevent you from overindulging. Try to include physical activity in your daily routines. And finally, try to maintain healthy sleep habits.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed, reach out for help. This might involve calling a friend or another trusted adult.  You can also contact a professional, such as your family doctor.

If you would like to begin accessing programs and services at CMHA HKPR, you can complete an intake form on our website – CMHA Referral Form. Intake is your first step to connecting with our programs and services. After completing and submitting the intake form, you will be contacted to meet with an intake worker, to determine how we can best meet your needs. If you need assistance with this, you may also call 705-328-2704 (Kawartha Lakes) or 705-748-6711 (Peterborough).

If you are in crisis, immediate support is available by calling the Four County Crisis line at 705-745-6484 or toll-free 1-866-995-9933, to access 24-hour, free, confidential crisis support.