The holidays from Thanksgiving to New Year's can be a rough time for anybody, especially those dealing with active mental illnesses. I have heard this time period is called Hurricane Season. I have a tendency to want to make everything perfect which is a pressure I can do without. It is also a time when it can be overwhelming to deal with family. I do not talk or interact with my brother so it can be stressful when I am around him during the holidays.
After the holidays are over it can feel like a letdown. I slept twelve hours on the first of January and then took a two-hour nap during the next day. I was exhausted from the bustle of the season and trying to please everyone in my family.
I make sure I am getting adequate sleep, neither too little nor too much, take my medication regularly, get exercise and eat healthily. I also stay in close contact with my therapist and the safe people in my network. Self-care is also an important thing to be doing. I need to actively do things for myself, always and especially at this time of year.
Self Care Suggestions
Take a long hot shower or a bath.
Get a massage.
Light candles.
Color in an adult coloring book.
Make plans with an old friend.
Meditate.
Say affirmations such as I love and accept myself exactly as I am.
Read a book for pleasure.
Take good care,
Christine
Be like a Tree: Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your natural beauty. Keep growing. -- Joanne Rapits