As soon as the weather starts to change, the staples of our day-to-day tend to change as well. The addition of hats, scarves, and jackets gets added to our daily “leaving the house” routines. Room is made for plants to be brought inside and animals are given cozier places to cuddle up. Recreational activities change seasons, and weekends start to look a little different.

All of these changes, although mostly positive, signify an extended and significant shift of regularity. As our minds and bodies pick up on these changes, certain associations start to be tacked on to how we feel about the holiday season; specifically around holiday traditions.

Amidst all of this change is the consistency of tradition. Whether it’s a familial obligation or a special activity or event that is important for us to attend, these consistent little joys always have a starting point. Each one marks a meaningful and intentional start to something that will remain a memory forever.

It is never too late to add to these traditions. We could ask ourselves what’s “missing” from our seasonal tradition checklist this holiday season. Maybe it’s a personal tradition to reset and find peace as another year begins!

Celebrating the Self

Knowing ourselves is something that everyone struggles with from time to time. Understanding what makes us feel overwhelmed and what habits are no longer serving us are two heavy contenders for reevaluation during the end of the year. 

We are not alone in feeling like life gets a little harder when the year begins to come to a close. The National Alliance on Mental Illness noted that 64% of individuals living with a mental illness felt that their conditions worsened around the holidays. 

The holidays can ask a lot from us. There are people to see, gatherings that can’t be missed and events that only happen once a year we have to make it before it’s too late. All the stress and preparation can wear on us without us even realizing it. 

After consistently showing up for others and making space for everyone else, we should always make time to assess and make sure we are getting the things we need to succeed mentally. It’s possible that we will find easy solutions to common issues we usually power through. For example, are there less complicated meals we can bring to dinner instead of adding stress to a pleasant get-together? Are there ways we can make traveling enjoyable for ourselves by engaging in pre or post self-care?

Even if these little activities of personal compassion are small additions to our everyday lives, it’s not the size of the gift, but the thought that counts. 

Reaching Out

We are never alone when it comes to feeling stressed about the holidays. Those of us with big families know that there is plenty to talk about when discussing how everyone comes together. Families that are far apart from each other face the challenge of having to find alternate ways of being “together”. Some of us have very small inner circles that have to make time to connect as obligation pulls us this way and that.

No matter what our interpersonal situations are, talking out how we feel about the holidays can help navigate us through our complicated emotions and lead us to more productive thought processes. 

Kindly Human Peers are people just like us who face the same challenges we face and understand where we are coming from when we need to vent about how this time of year makes us feel. Solutions are not always the answer to our struggles, as there is not always something we can actively do to change our situations. A potential way to take hold of our circumstances, however, is talking to someone who understands. These conversations can lead to us putting things into perspective and facing our mental obstacles with the confidence gained from talking them out. 

Something New Just for You

We often get so caught up in making the holidays better and better each year. It can be reassuring to remember that our friends and family always want what’s best for us. Communicating our need for the space and time to reset means we are more present and better equipped to handle whatever comes our way this holiday season!

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