The Christmas season is one of the most joyful seasons of the year. Or, at least, it’s supposed to be. For many people, this season is stressful and overwhelming. This can be taxing on your mental health.
At Unfiltered Radio, we strongly believe that everyone should prioritize their mental well-being. That being said, here are some tips for taking care of your mental health during the holidays.
Be honest with yourself
Are you feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Take a moment to assess how you’re feeling, and be honest with yourself. If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed or anxious, you need some time to take care of yourself.
Whether that is talking to a professional or simply taking a break from the busy holiday routine, you need to make sure you meet your own needs before pushing yourself through the rest of the season.
Say no
Have a lot of invites to parties? Do people want you to travel far to see them? Do people want to stay with you? If any of this seems like too much, know that it’s OK to say no.
You don’t have to attend every holiday party. You can’t see every relative. You don’t have room for everyone at your place.
This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your relatives might pressure you into joining them for the holidays when you know it’s unsafe to do so. Don’t compromise your health or the health of others because of social pressure. Everyone will be better off for it when you prioritize health and safety.
Set a budget
It’s easy to accidentally spend too much money during the holidays, especially if you have a lot of friends and family you want to give gifts to. This can cause unnecessary stress that is not the best for your mental health.
Review your budget for the month and make sure you don’t exceed your limits. Don’t compromise the comfort of your daily life just to buy some gifts for the season. Buy gifts that are more reasonable and keep your budget in a healthy space.
Find comfort in community
Yes, during the COVID-19 pandemic, you shouldn’t see a lot of people for the holidays. This is unfortunate because being alone on the holiday can feel depressing. However, just because you can’t be near people doesn’t mean you can’t have community.
Set up video calls with your friends and family. You can do several different calls spread out over different times on different days to get time with everyone you love and care about during the season. If you don’t have anyone to turn to at all, please reach out to us at Unfiltered Radio. We believe no one should have to be alone when they are hungry for community.
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At Unfiltered Radio, we’re all about exploring what it means to authentically follow Jesus and wrestle with the hard questions in life. Check out our podcast to listen to daily episodes about personal growth, spiritual growth and talking about hard questions about God.