Mental Health & The Holidays

The holiday season is in full swing which means food, friends, family and festivities. While this can be a joyous time, it can also be challenging.

"The holidays can be a riskier time of year for your mental health. Whether it's increased demands at work with vacations booked, expectations placed on yourself for family or hosting duties, sad memories of people who are no longer with us, or even the temptation to use less than healthy coping strategies during this time can all cause stress," says Dr. Fulton (Psychologist)

BE REALISTIC

One of the simple things we can do is set realistic expectations. We can try to avoid putting extra pressure on ourselves to cook the perfect meal, have the decorations just right, or making everyone else happy. Be aware of how you talk to yourself; self-talk can be an effective tool in helping to lower the high expectations we commonly place on ourselves during the holidays. The holidays don’t have to be perfect, or exactly like last year. Traditions and rituals often change through the years, so even though holidays look different for us, we can find other ways to celebrate.

BE AWARE OF THE “SHOULDS”

It can be helpful to replace the word "should" with "I would prefer it if. Should can make us feel beaten down, mandated or out of control. "For example, instead of "I should get the cards done by Sunday" or "I should keep everyone happy", try "I would prefer it if I got the cards done by Sunday" or "I would prefer it if everyone had a great holiday season but that's not totally in my control." Take moments to think about how you're talking to yourself and change the dialogue.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

This is the time of year where we tend to let the essential self-care activities fall by the wayside, such as getting regular exercise, eating healthy meals, taking time relax and giving ourselves enough sleep. When it comes to exercise maybe you aren't able to stick to your usual gym routine, but can you try a different activity with friends or family like a walk or hike? These are simple and fun ways we can maintain our well-being.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

This is a time of year where there is lots of celebrating that can expose people to alcohol or other substances. Find some ways to cope with temptation or to avoid high- risk situations that could result in a relapse.

Recognize the high-risk situations where you might use substances. Ask yourself if you can avoid that situation or could you suggest an alternate event that has less focus on drinking or other substances such as an outdoor activity.

If you can't avoid that high-risk situation, ask for social support from someone who is not using substances. This person can help coach or support you if you're having a difficult moment, be with you if you need to take a breather.

ASK FOR HELP

A very important reminder for everyone is to not be afraid to ask for more help if you need it. This could be reaching out to your family doctor or accessing resources that can help with managing stress.

Pattison Agriculture has an EAP Program that has very useful resources for many different situations. Any time you utilize this program, it is strictly confidential. www.workhealthlife.com

EAP Phone services: 1-800-387-4765 or TTY: 1-877-338-0275