Planning for the Holidays

It’s (somehow) only a few weeks to go before Christmas and before long our streets will be full of xmas lights and any shopping trip will involve taking a risk of the inevitable whammageddon.

It can also be a tough time for a lot of us.

Christmas is heavily promoted as a time for families and being with the people that we love, and life being what it is, sometimes we’re in circumstances that don’t support that.

Maybe we don’t get on with our families.. Perhaps we’ve lost people that we love. This might even be the first xmas without them

If our lives aren’t where we want them to be, this time of year can give us a lot of time for unhelpful rumination. Our mental health can take a dip and depression can be at its most severe.

As we run up to the festive period it’s worth having a think about how we’re going to look after our mental health. I’m going to make some suggestions here to start things off:

1. Set rules for spending If you’re doing gifts, or even xmas cards, decide on how much you’re going to be spending and stick to it. It’s very common to overdo it and run into problems in January, which is usually a longer month for everyone. Is the big expensive gift really that important? What might be more meaningful?
   

2. Decide what you’re going to do on xmas day, even if you plan to spend it yourself. Deciding it now means there’s a plan. If we’re not up for spending time with others, there are a lot more options than there used to be. If we want to stay home, make sure we’re doing something we really enjoy and think about treating yourself? Perhaps finally watching that film you’ve been saving or getting in some hobbying. Whatever is your particular happy place.
   

3. Don’t overbook yourself It can be tempting to want to fill as much time as possible catching up with friends and doing this that and the other, but remember we also need to rest. Listen to your body.
   

4. Think about cutting down on alcohol Alcohol is everywhere at this time of year and it can have a pretty lousy effect on our mental health, especially if we’re already struggling.
   

5. Give yourself permission to avoid sources of stress Whether it’s challenging people or situations, it’s ok to put your mental health first and do whatever is best for you.

That’s just a few suggestions to start things off, but something I’d encourage everyone to think about. How are you going to looking after yourself this festive period?

If you'd like to work with me on your mental health, fill in the contact form or email me directly at mckellarcbt@gmail.com.