Hope for the Holidays: Establishing Mental Must Haves
The holidays are almost here! Life around the home and office sees a gradual change around this time of year as families begin to discuss travel plans for the next three months and regular schedules may begin to feel that shift. With everything on the cusp of that flux, it can be difficult to identify how to prepare for the next three very busy months. After all, it’s not just our schedules we have to think about. Co-workers, family and friends are all running on their independent availabilities, and it can be daunting to try and keep up.
When thinking about mental wellness, it’s important to remember that we have to support our own mindfulness before being able to be there for others. Making a personal note of what our holiday “mental must haves” are before the season starts is a beneficial way to keep ourselves grounded during the stress and excitement that the holiday months can bring.
Holiday must haves can be anything from “I need to finish the guest room” to “I need to remember I can’t be everywhere at once”. These important reminders give us the patience with ourselves that we need to achieve the overall goal of maintaining mental wellness. This doesn’t mean stress doesn’t happen, rather, it helps us to disallow stress from overtaking us, which can easily happen during the holidays when we have so much to do. When we remember to prioritize the things we absolutely must have to maintain mental wellness; that all too familiar feeling of dread as we realize we have gotten in over our ho ho ho heads can be kept at bay, leaving us with clear heads and maintainable stress levels this season!
Schedules Are Like Snowflakes: Unique!
Everyone enjoys the holidays differently. For the senior members of our community, this time of year brings many visitors in a very short time excited to share each holiday with those they have loved for many years. Because the priority is usually aimed at being available for them, our personal schedules may alter as we try to make all the rounds to everyone who needs some holiday cheer. It’s easy to forget ourselves in all that hustle and bustle and not leave enough time for us to decompress after each visit. This action is very important, however, and neglecting it can lead to us draining our “social battery” and potentially being too burned out to successfully initiate our next visit.
A “social battery” is a colloquial term for that feeling of low energy and irritation that can manifest when we have not spent enough time taking care of ourselves. After large social interactions, it can be necessary to “recharge” ourselves before hopping into the next event. Simon Spickak, a neuroscientist versed in introversion, explains that ““You need to take breaks when you’re tired to refuel and refocus. That means the next time you meet up with someone, you will be present and thoughtful – instead of counting down until you leave.”
By keeping our social battery in mind, we can ensure that each interaction we have this season is meaningful and that the memories we take with us are positive and fulfilling. Try adding this bit of mindfulness into your holiday “must haves” lists!
Perfect Parent Pressure
Being a parent during the holidays, especially to little ones, has its own array of challenges. While they may be excited by all the new family and friends they get to see during this time, young ones are especially susceptible to social burnout, and that excitement can quickly turn into fatigue given the circumstances.
That holiday nest egg parents often save up specifically for gift giving can also start to feel VERY present during this time of year. As Halloween gets closer and closer, kids may begin getting excited about costumes, events and parties and there can be a lot on a parent’s plate as they try to navigate all their little ones’ wish lists.
Even when it comes to the most precious members of our families, keeping up with our mental wellness is something very important to be able to stay above the pressure of making every holiday perfect. A present-minded parent full of love can make any holiday special and memorable. All of the bells and whistles can be extra fun, but when the peace of mind is sacrificed, the quality of the time spent suffers. Releasing the pursuit of perfection can be a beneficial addition to anyone’s must-haves!
It’s a Must!
For the next few months, many of our usual schedules will be in flux and our defenses for burnout and general fatigue will become more important than ever. It’s always important to keep our mental wellness at its best, but when expectations from those outside the main family nucleus begin adding additional pressure, our ability to discern what is best for ourselves and our core family becomes paramount. Now is an excellent time to start thinking about what we really can’t do without this season and ensuring that we set ourselves up to be Happy Holiday Healthy!
