Managing Holiday Stress by Jade Caswell, MA

Holidays can be a festive time of the year, with favorite traditions, delightful foods, and

time off. However, it may also be a time of sadness and angst for many, with the expectations

of the season causing unwelcome stress and anxiety. According to a study conducted by the

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on holiday stressors, 63% of research participants

admitted to feeling financially strained, 57% reported feeling 'too much pressure' during the

holiday season and 24% of people diagnosed with a mental health condition reported the

holidays made them feel 'lot worse'. This research speaks for itself: many of us are stressed

during the holiday season, and mental health symptoms may be exacerbated during this time.

Add in family stressors, prepping holiday meals, and checking items off everyone's wish list and

this could feel overwhelming! Read on for tips to stay balanced this holiday season.

1. Consider Expectations

Try to be realistic about what can and cannot be accomplished this holiday season. For

instance, inviting the whole extended family to a holiday party may sound enticing, however,

consider your time and resources before committing yourself to such an undertaking. Inviting

immediate family members may be a more realistic goal. Managing social media use and

avoiding comparisons to others' holiday experiences are also crucial steps to promote wellbeing

during this time.

2. Practice Self Care

During holidays, our routines may be disrupted, with many things on our to-do list,

gatherings to attend, and people to care for. This is why it is important to keep up with our self-

care practices during this time, so we can feel rested and rejuvenated moving into the new

year. Self-care practices might look like sticking to our bedtime routine, not over-indulging in

alcohol or other addictive substances, getting in a daily dose of fresh air and mindful

movement, continuing with regularly scheduled therapy sessions, and saying 'no' to

overextending ourselves.

3. Manage Feelings of Grief & Loss

Holidays are often a time to reflect on memories of the past, including people and

places that may no longer be with us. Recent losses around the holiday season can complicate

the grieving process and create a mixture of emotions. Finding ways to commemorate lost

loved ones, creating new family traditions, and remembering their life stories may help process

grief in a healthy way, and allow us to connect with others.

Stay safe and healthy this holiday season!

Need more assistance? Please call our office to be set up with one of our skilled therapists

today.

Benefits of Practicing Gratitude

Practicing giving thanks is often done around the Thanksgiving table, however, it is an

important practice that can be cultivated throughout the year. In recent years, research has

found that intentionally practicing gratitude can have positive mental, physical, and social

benefits. One study, conducted by researchers Bohlmeijer et al. (2020), found that a daily,

fifteen minute gratitude practice for six week boosted overall mental wellbeing of research

participants. Gratitude may even have important benefits for heart health. A 2019 review of

gratitude research from researchers Jans-Beken (et al) found that gratitude journaling may

cause a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure. The act of practicing gratitude activates

the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxing the body systems. With

all the documented benefits of gratitude, you may be asking yourself how this can be practiced

in your own life. Below are tips to help you get started!

1. Keeping a gratitude journal. This can be as easy as taking a few minutes at the end of each

day to reflect on what you are grateful for-- try being observant throughout the day, and

express thanks for even the smallest moments of life.

2. Sharing the spirit of gratitude. Try expressing thanks to neighbor, family member, or friend.

This could make a world of difference in the lives of others! Sending a thank you note can also

be a way to express thanks for those you are grateful for.

3. Positive reframing. Oftentimes, we may be tempted to look at the negative of a situation.

Actively reframing our thoughts from what we don't have, to what we have and can be grateful

for can shift our perspective and cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Struggling to get started? Let one of our skilled therapists help!

By Jade Caswell, MA, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern

Managing Negative Emotions by Jade Caswell, MA

Many clients come to us seeking assistance in coping with negative emotions. Learning

how to cope with our emotions can improve life quality and foster heathy relationships. While

there are numerous techniques to soothe emotional distress, I often start with teaching clients

how to 'sit with their emotions'. For those not familiar with this phrase, this may seem

confusing or vague. Or you may ask- how do I do this? In simple terms, 'sitting with our

emotions'; means to accept our emotions, without pushing them away or judging ourselves for

them. It involves taking a mindful stance towards emotions, and allowing them to have a brief

moment of existence within ourselves, and then gradually subside. If we attempt to suppress

our emotions, or avoid them altogether, we do ourselves a disservice and place ourselves

further away from our goal of emotional regulation. Below, I provide a practical, 'how to'; guide

for learning to 'sit with our emotions':

1. Name and identify our emotions

Oftentimes, we may feel confused with what exactly we are feeling, however, identifying what

we are feeling and putting a name to our feelings often helps clarify what we are experiencing

and may help reduce the intensity of a negative emotions. If needed, a feelings wheel can be

great tool for practicing emotion identification.

2. Noticing physical sensations

The mind and body are intricately connected; as such, it is important to become fully aware of

how our emotions may be manifesting in our physical bodies. If we are having trouble

identifying an emotion, often, our body will provide clues. For instance, if we are stressed or

anxious, we may experience muscle tension or become clammy.

3. Adopt a curious stance towards our emotions

The next step involves asking ourselves where the emotion may be coming from, using a

curious and non-critical perspective. I like to encourage clients to be 'emotion detectives'; and

strive to find their personal triggers for emotional distress. Knowing what is causing an emotion

to come up is the first step towards identifying proactive ways at managing them or avoiding

triggers altogether.

4. Practice self-validation

Sometimes, negative emotion can leave us feeling defeated or leave us questioning our self-

worth. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain an objective stance towards our emotions, instead of

becoming fused with them or allowing them to define our sense of self. If you find yourself

become critical of your emotions try using these phrases instead, 'I'm allowed to feel this way';

or 'My feelings matter and I will listen to what they’re telling me'.

Regulating emotions can seem like a difficult task; these are just a few steps to get you started.

We are here to help-- For more support, please reach out to our office to schedule a session

with one of our therapists today. We would be happy to hear from you!

By Jade Caswell, MA, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern