For some, this particular time of year is filled with happy occasions and reasons to celebrate.
For others, the season is less than joyful.
Laura Click, LCSW, Director of Behavioral Health Services at White House Clinic, said the added stress around the holidays can be hard to manage.
“The holidays can be a time that is full of joy, but also full of other emotions and experiences that can be more difficult to acknowledge and know how to manage,” she noted. “Many people find that the stress of navigating the financial and social pressures of this season are overwhelming.”
Click also said those dealing with trauma may have more difficulty coping during the holidays and should not feel pressure to act joyful if they don’t feel that way.
“Feelings of grief or loneliness are most difficult to cope with during the holidays. It’s important to remember during this time of year that it is just as ‘ok to not be ok’ during this time as any other time of the year,” Click added.
In addition, there are stressors from the past couple of years—such as COVID-19 and inflation—that have multiplied the impact of everyday burdens.
Leslie Short, the owner of Berea Massage Studio, acknowledged the shift.
“This year has felt different with clients at the studio. Many are dealing with being sick with the flu, COVID, children with RSV…Beyond the normal cold/flu season, people seem more stressed than ever,” Short explained. “Changes in money situations, family stress, and job stress tend to come up often during our massage sessions. On top of that, we’re all trying to keep up with social media ideals and the way people perceive us. Top that, with us failing to make time for ourselves…it creates quite the perfect mental health storm.”
She says her work as a massage therapist helps combat these issues.
“Massage therapy offers many benefits for mental health, such as lowering stress, decreasing anxiety, and reducing pain. Living in a world post-COVID, the power of touch is more important than ever. When we don’t get enough physical touch our bodies make a stress hormone called cortisol, and we become touch deprived,” Short said.
As a provider, Tammy Gross, APRN at White House Clinic, says that she always suggests patients pay close attention to both their physical and mental health, especially around the holidays.
“We all get busy and a little more stressed in an already stressful day-to-day life,” she commented. “It is easy to let that — as well as the gloomy weather — keep us from taking care of ourselves mentally and physically. Caring for our physical health also results in improved mental health as well.”
She has the following suggestions for maintaining physical and mental health: Moderate intensity exercise for 150 minutes every week, a consistent sleep schedule, drinking lots of water, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding caffeine.
All three health practitioners recommend that those in their care find personal time in the day to take inventory of their needs and care for themselves.
“I always tell my clients to not be ashamed to take time for yourself, you can’t fill others’ cups if yours is empty,” said Short.
Click affirmed the sentiment, stating, “I encourage people to take time to slow down and experience the full range of emotions that come up during this time of year and make mindful choices about what they need to take care of themselves. Sometimes this means establishing new routines and holiday rituals, sometimes it means connecting more with people in your life, and sometimes it means taking time away from the busy-ness and demands to experience something that is just for you. It can be helpful to take a few minutes over morning coffee each day to take some deep, slow breaths and ask yourself “what do I need today?” and then commit to making that happen for yourself, as best you can.”