Mental Health And The Holidays
As much as the holidays can be full of joy, with family, friends, and loved ones, they can also be stressful at times. All of a sudden, you're handed an array of demands, such as cooking, shopping, baking, cleaning, entertaining, and more. As exciting as it is, it can feel nearly impossible to fulfill everything on your plate! That's why finding a balance between mental health and the holiday's festive-yet-hectic nature is crucial.
We can help!
At the FASTer Way, we understand that holiday burnout is real!
However, before you completely lose yourself, let us help you alleviate your stress (and maybe save your sanity) with these mental-health-managing tips for the holidays!
Read on to find simple ways you can have a healthier festive season in every way.
Gratitude and Giving Back
Having a lengthy to-do list can make it hard to pause and remember everything you already have. Making a point to be grateful for your blessings and accomplishments, no matter how big or small, can work wonders on your mental health.
You can do this in simple ways, such as by writing a gratitude list, reflecting back on relationships, people, items, or personal accomplishments that you're grateful for, and thanking those who supported you. This includes yourself! Don’t forget to pat your own back for the successes your hard-earned discipline or motivation has earned you.
In addition, volunteering can also provide a level of comfort during stressful times. Connecting with your community and helping those in need works to put things in perspective, and can ease feelings of isolation or loneliness during the holiday season.
Stop by your local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or even a friend’s table that may be less full with a warm meal or some tasty treats. This will help lift your holiday glum and broaden friendships, adding or strengthening new relationships in your life and your community.
Keep Up Healthy Habits
Keeping up with healthy habits is CRUCIAL during the holidays, especially when surrounded by so many tasty treats. Prioritizing healthy habits doesn’t mean depriving yourself of your favorite holiday dishes or working out for hours. Rather, it means providing your body with the tools it needs to relieve stress and maintain your overall wellness.
You can do this through:
Conscious eating habits
Regular or daily physical exercise (30 minutes does the trick)
Self-care practices (Deep breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga)
Proper rest and sleep
For instance, you can cook whole food based meals and create numerous holiday staples that are just as delicious while remaining healthy - check some of FASTer Ways' amazing meal guides, especially our new Holiday Meal Guide!! Consuming unprocessed foods and implementing other fat-loss eating strategies, such as intermittent fasting, is the foundation for body and mind wellness as well as mood stabilization. By making these strategies routine you’ll be able to effectively listen to hunger cues, avoid overindulgence, and have a healthy and happy festive season!
Keeping to an exercise regimen is also vital during the holidays for its stress-relieving and overall wellness-boosting benefits. This can be as simple as scheduling time to go for a nice walk around your neighborhood, at your favorite park, or going for a bike ride. Invite a friend or loved one to make it more enjoyable. The important part is to make it fun, as participating in physical activity that brings you joy naturally produces stress-relieving hormones and can improve your overall physical well-being.
Plan Ahead For Your Mental Health And The Holidays
With the thousands of different demands that come with the holidays, it’s important to stay organized. By doing so, you’ll be sure you manage and prioritize your precious time. This helps you to avoid overloading your schedule or daily task list and decrease potential stress levels. You can implement this strategy by setting aside days for shopping, baking, connecting with loved ones, and other activities. Try consolidating errands, and planning menus with adjoining shopping lists to prevent a crisis of forgotten ingredients and feelings of being overwhelmed.
Most importantly, IT’S OKAY TO SAY NO! If a request simply won’t fit into your schedule or a commitment may worsen feelings of being overburdened, it's okay to deny those requests. Those who love you will put your mental and physical health first, just as you should, and understand. Make sure to pencil in NOTHING, too!
Take A Breather
Taking time for yourself and prioritizing downtime is vital to decreasing stress levels that are generally at an all-time high during the holiday season. Stopping to regroup, specifically alone and without any distractions, even if it's just for 15 minutes, can help you feel refreshed and ready to handle more tasks. During this time, practice relaxation techniques by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing, and unclenching your body through stretching.
Another way to take a break and refocus involves doing activities that you enjoy and help you restore a sense of inner peace.
Such practices of self-care can be:
Going for a leisurely walk by yourself or with your dog
Listening to your favorite music
Reading a good book
Getting a massage
As much as we all love our families, they can be a lot, especially during the holidays - we all have an eccentric aunt or a high-maintenance relative. Therefore, we emphasize doing these activities by yourself as it will give you much-needed time away and more effectively recharge your batteries. Also, getting outside when you can is recommended as studies have shown that time in nature actively works to decrease stress levels.
Mental Health And The Holidays: Seeking Support
It can be hard to ask for help or reach out when you need it. Maybe it stirs up feelings of failure or weakness. The pressures of the holidays can make you think you have to get a thousand things done at once and execute them perfectly. Having that standard is simply unrealistic and puts unnecessary stress on your already-weighted shoulders. After all, we are only human and perfectly imperfect ones at that.
It’s important to use the support system around you.
That can come in the form of:
Family, friends, or other loved ones
Members of your community
Church
Online support groups
Social media
The FASTer Way family!
Remember, you’re community and other loved ones are there to lean on if, and when, you need it. All you have to do is ask!
Join Our Next Round Today!
Like the idea of sustaining your wellness? Want to implement these healthy habits but not sure you can do it on your own?
Let the FASTer Way help you!
Join our next round, where we focus on simple and holistic habits, like those mentioned in this article, to boost your health and reduce stress. We’ll also implement other science-backed strategies such as guided 30-minute workouts, drool-worthy meal guides, and a personal coach custom matched just for you!
Let yourself enjoy your fitness this year and find simple yet powerful ways to amplify your energy and mood!
Click the button below to register for FREE today!