A Washington, DC Therapist’s Guide to Surviving the Holiday Season
Written by: Jane Lim, LGSW, LMSW
It’s surreal to think that the holiday season is already here!
It’s time to take out your cozy blankets, candles, holiday decor, gather new recipes, and prepare for the holiday cheer. It’s no secret that although there may be so much to look forward to, the holiday season can also be wrought with anxiety, stress, grief, loneliness, and other mental health challenges. This time of year comes with nuanced difficulties like dealing with family dynamics, managing work-related pressures at year’s end, being reminded of the absence of a loved one, and overall juggling your mental, physical, and emotional health.
As a therapist, these challenges come up year after year during the holidays, and here are some tips to help you survive the season!
Set and Reframe Your Expectations:
I think a lot of us hold high hopes around the holiday season, wanting everything to look perfect and truly tie the year up with a nice red bow. I mean it makes sense- it’s how social media portrays this time of year; and holiday movies, television specials, and picture-perfect magazine covers certainly don’t help the cause. In reality, that’s not the truth and it’s not realistic to compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. Take some time and reflect on what your expectations are for the holidays and ask yourself if these are realistic or useful. If not, reframe or create an alternative thought and/or expectation that is slightly more rooted in your reality.
Expectation: I have an assumption that everyone in my family is going to get along.
Reframe: Everyone may not get along and that’s okay. It’s not my responsibility or in my control to ensure everyone in my family gets on amicably.
Know Your Boundaries:
It’s always important to know your boundaries, especially during the holiday season. You are allowed to say “no” and choose what dialogue and situations you wish to engage or disengage from. Try to cope ahead with conversation topics you do not wish to talk about so that you can prepare a boundary statement to use should the topic come up. Additionally, set boundaries around how long you plan to stay at a certain event, especially one that may be more activating.
Pro tip: practice saying aloud to yourself strong, simple boundary sentences in the mirror
Bonus tip: Be mindful of your social media use. Social media can paint a two-dimensional glimpse at a three-dimensional life that inevitably leads us to compare ourselves to others, inviting room for self-judgment and critiques. While understandably difficult to implement, think of this as a holiday gift you’re giving to your future self.
Maintain Your Routine and Self-Care Practices:
Routines allow us to have structure and support us in taking care of ourselves. Changes in the environment can impact our daily routines. Be mindful of what routines you are able to continue. For example, if you visit family for the weekend, try to stick to your normal routine of daily living activities: morning/night routines, meals, exercise, journaling, mindfulness, breathing exercises, etc. It’s also going to be important to continue to use the self-care you already find useful.
We can get caught up in the moment and forgo creating time for ourselves. Hold on to the idea that self-care is not selfish, and a quantity of time with family and friends does not always equate to quality time. Give yourself space to recharge in whatever way best suits you: go on a walk, take a hot bath or shower, spend some time with a family pet or your favorite hometown coffee shop, or finish that book that you’ve been meaning to pick back up since the summer.
Taking the practices into the holidays that you already find useful is an important way to bring continuity and care to a season that tends to throw things a bit off-kilter.
Tis the season to be jolly, and it’s also the season to be all the other dysphoric emotions that can come along with this time of year. Allow yourself to feel the difficult feelings when they arise and use some of these helpful tools if you find yourself struggling a bit over these next several months. Take it one day at a time, and remember that this season, too, shall pass.
Begin Depression Treatment in DC
You don’t have to struggle with mental health concerns this holiday season. Our team of caring therapists would be honored to offer in-person and online services across the Washington, DC area. You can start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:
Schedule a consultation with us using our contact form.
Meet with one of our skilled therapists.
Start making the most of the holiday season!
Other Services Offered At The Sterling Group
Our team understands there are a variety of mental health services that may affect your life. This is why our counseling practice believes in healing for the whole self. Our skilled therapists offer a range of services related to your healing including self-esteem therapy, trauma therapy, and self-discovery. We help folks struggling with anxiety, depression, life transitions, and executive function and ADHD struggles. Additionally, we can provide boundary-setting therapy, LGBTQ+ therapy, couples therapy as well as individual counseling for relationship issues. We hope that you’ll reach out to us to get started with counseling and we can’t wait to hear from you.
