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Welcome to the topic Managing Your Mental Health in The Christmas Holidays.
Most of us associate the holidays with jolly old family times and the feeling of warmth that accompanies Christmas every year. However, sometimes we need to make sure we’re not engaging in or with anything that could hurt our mental states, and this guide should help you do just that this time around.
Avoid Comparing Social Situations
We’re usually always comparing ourselves with people we see on the internet. Although this can motivate some people to try and do better, it can also lead to some unhelpful and toxic effects on our self-esteem. Everyone tries to show an ideal picture of their lives, especially on the holidays, so make sure you don’t feel like your own life is somewhat lacking in comparison to that because it is not a realistic nor fair thing to do. Therefore, you should minimize the use of social media as much as possible, especially for the holidays.
Keep Realistic Expectations
Many people put an extra emphasis on Christmas and the family gatherings that accompany it; after all, it is a pretty special occasion that comes only once a year and allows much of the family to get together and celebrate. This is particularly true for our current times where sometimes, we can’t have all our family together for the special day due to travel restrictions or whatever other problems the pandemic may present you with. We have to deal with the difficult knowledge that we might not meet up with our favorite relatives living abroad thanks to the never-ending complications in hosting public and family gatherings. Therefore, we advise you to keep realistic goals for this year and not feel too down if things don’t turn out just as you were hoping. There’s a whole lot of fun that you can have on your own as well if you have the right mindset!
Volunteering and Donating
As shown by numerous amounts of published scientific research, it is a common belief that helping others, being generous and kind can significantly positively impact your mental health. It is certainly something that all of us should consider doing. This time around, if you’re feeling a bit down about anything that you feel hasn’t gone your way, remember that giving back to the community may be an excellent way for you to help someone else’s day and, by extension, your own as well.
Taking a Break From Things
It’s no secret that adult life can get overwhelming at times, and Christmas is often no exception to getting away from our responsibilities. However, if you feel like your stress levels are rising, we recommend that you take this opportunity to finally take that rest day you’ve been promising yourself for so long now. Different things help different people, and if you’re looking for suggestions, we recommend trying a stroll to look at the various Christmas light decorations around town or just enjoying a nice, hot cup of coffee at your local cafe in peace.
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Also Read: The Best Ways to Spend Christmas