17 Dec Holidays……the most wonderful time of the year?
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you’ll be of good cheer
Its the most wonderful time of the year
Its the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings
And gay happy meetings when friends come to call
Its the hap-happiest season of all” -Andy Williams
What pressure the holidays bring to be happy, a patient recently reminded me. For so many, especially during this long pandemic, the holidays are a reminder of days gone by and loved ones that are no longer here. We fill so much of this time being busy, we may often wonder, why don’t I feel joyful? Am I the only one not feeling happy that it’s the holidays? I can assure you, you are definitely not!
So how do we make sure that we are taking especially good care of ourselves during this holiday time – especially if it’s more of a time of grief and sadness and less of a “hap-happiest” time?
- Make time for yourself. What does that look like? If you are sad and grieving, acknowledge that and give to yourself what you need in that moment. Maybe you need to shed some tears before you can feel a bit better.
- Take good care of yourself. Make sure your basic needs are met. Are you sleeping ok? Are you relaxed enough at night to sleep? How about nutrition – are you eating well? Are you exercising? If these basic needs aren’t being met we are setting ourselves up to be vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
- Remind yourself – it is just a day! It is a 24 hour day like all the other 24 hour days that came before it and after. We don’t have to give it any more meaning than that.
- Practice some breathing exercises, or some meditations, or exercise. Listen to some music, add some humor to your day.
- Reach out to a loved one whether a family member or friend