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Self Care: Mental Health During the Holidays and Beyond
Tips to help you stay healthy during a demanding season.
The holidays are stressful, whether you celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas, there are a lot of demands we place on ourselves and promise to others.
For years I was caught up in trying to “reproduce” the holidays I had as a child for my sons. I wanted to serve special meals, have lots of presents, have them wake up in their beds on Christmas morning, and have the house completely decorated, both inside and out. I often made handmade presents for teachers and friends as well. Baking several kinds of cookies took time and effort. It was a lot. And, it took a lot out of me. I took on too much.
For most years, I got through it without problems. But there were some years when it was harder. But there was a year or two, I cried. One year, I remember cooking with tears rolling down my face. I don’t know what brought it on or what made it go away. But since then, I’ve learned to manage myself better during the holidays.
And by managing myself better, I mean I attend to my mental health. I watch myself for signs of stress. For me, this includes my left scapula hurting, not sleeping, being cross, or being overly emotional. I try to prevent these signs of stress from even occurring.
