Getting Through the Holiday Season

While for some the holiday season is joyous and filled with excitement, others experience dread and mental health flare ups during this time. Pressure of the fast-paced feel of November to January, marketing targeted to influence you to spend money, and overall societal expectations are common areas that cause undue stress.

For people dealing with mental health symptoms, these issues are easily compounded by their pre-existing symptoms, including experiences with trauma.

Sharing a space and/or meal with family who has caused you distress or perpetrated harm can be an overwhelming task, and for many is an obligation due to family pressure. It is important to remember that the same way thoughts and feelings comes and go, so will the holidays and so will the time in which you may have to spend in spaces that are uncomfortable, triggering, or cause dissociation.

Creating your own traditions with chosen family or friends may be a way to commemorate the holiday season in a way that makes tolerating distressing holiday gatherings easier. Having things to look forward to that are safe and fulfilling during the holiday season can help serve as a buffer from obligatory situations that activate our mental health symptoms. Getting involved in a volunteer capacity in local spaces may also bring relief, as giving back and spending time investing in others can generate a sense of purpose. 

Regardless of what this holiday season looks like for you, remember it will come and go, just as it always does.